The upward adjustment in electricity and water tariffs by the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURC) takes effect today, June 1, 2023.
The electricity tariff goes up by 18.36%, while water tariffs will see a 19% increase. These adjustments are necessary due to the rising costs of production, according to the PURC.
The Regional Director of Operations for PURC, Alhaji Abubakari Jabari, explained in an interview with Starr News that customers who pay postpaid bills on June 1, 2023, will still be charged based on the old rates.
For most water bills, the old rate will continue to apply until consumption for the month of June, after which the new rate will be implemented.
Credit deposits made by customers will be calculated using the old rate until the end of the month, following which the new rate will be applied for subsequent billing cycles.
To address concerns about purchasing credits at the beginning of the month, Alhaji Abubakari Jabari advised against panicking or rushing to buy credits to mitigate the impact of the tariff adjustment.
He clarified that buying credits early in the month does not provide any specific advantages or discounts. Purchasing credits at any time during the month will be equivalent in terms of the billing calculation.
He urged consumers not to queue or rush to purchase credits on the first day of the month, assuring them that they would not miss out on any potential benefits by buying credits at a later time during the month.
Alhaji Abubakari Jabari also reassured consumers that their billing calculations would accurately reflect their consumption regardless of the date of purchase or falling within a specific usage bracket.
“I know most people go to buy their credit at the beginning of the month, I don’t see any point in that but people have the perception that if you buy credit in the first week of the month you might get some discount. You can’t force yourself to be within the lifeline, so any time you go to buy your credit, it is as good as buying in the first week or first day of the month. It’s a normal operational issue so we don’t expect people to go and cue today in trying to avoid the effect of any adjustment that has been done,” Alhaji Abubakari Jabari added.