RELIEF for Kenyans as Kenya Power announces a 13.7 percent reduction in the price of electricity.

The power company attributes the reduction to the strengthening of shilling and the drop in the cost of fuel.

"The fuel cost charge and foreign exchange fluctuation adjustment, which comprise the key variable components of the electricity bill, reduced by 37.3 percent between March 2024 and April 2024, across all customer categories, as gazetted by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA)," Kenya Power said in a statement on Monday.

KPLC said the fuel cost charge reduced from Ksh.4.64 in March 2024 to Ksh3.26 in April 2024, and from a high of Ksh4.93 in January 2024.

At the same time, the forex adjustment charge reduced from Ksh3.68 in March 2024 to Ksh1.96 in April 2024 and from a high of Sh6.85 in January 2024.

"We are happy to note that the reduction has given a reprieve to our customers and we are optimistic that the prevailing macro-economic environment and the improved hydrology, which enables us to dispatch less thermal power, will sustain the benefit to our customers," Kenya Power’s Managing Director and CEO Joseph Siror said.

The utility firm said a customer under the Domestic Customer 1 (DC1) tariff band (those consuming less than 30 units per month) using 30 units of electricity will pay Ksh629 in April 2024 compared to Ksh729 for similar units in March 2024.

The amount represents a 13.7 percent reduction for domestic customers.

A customer under the Domestic Customer 2 (DC2) tariff (averaging 31-100 units per month) who consumes 60 units will pay Sh1,574 in April 2024 compared to Ksh1,773 in March 2024 representing a 11.2 percent reduction.

A customer under the Domestic Customer 3 (DC3) tariff band (averaging more than 100 units per month) who uses 120 units per month will pay Ksh3,728 in April 2024 compared to Ksh4,127 in March representing a 9.7 percent reduction.

Kenya Power said that access to affordable electricity is key to spur the socio-economic development of the country.