Uganda’s fourth-quarter power tariffs put household units as high as Shs779.4

A household’s first 15 units of electricity will cost Shs250 each under Uganda’s fourth-quarter tariff schedule, but the next consumption band carries a price of Shs779.4 per unit. The difference puts the amount of power used at the centre of household electricity bills, while large manufacturers qualify for substantially lower average rates under a separate set of industrial tariffs.

Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) announced the rates for October–December 2026 following approval by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), according to Daily Monitor Uganda (direct). The schedule covers homes, businesses, factories, service-sector consumers and public amenities. Electricity is priced per kilowatt-hour, or kWh—a standard unit of energy used to calculate bills.

UEDCL said the ERA-approved fourth-quarter tariffs cover October to December 2026.

Household prices depend on consumption bands

The domestic schedule is not a simple progression from cheaper to more expensive power. After the first 15kWh at Shs250 per unit, consumption from 16 to 80kWh costs Shs779.4 per unit. The rate falls to Shs412 for the 81–150kWh band, then returns to Shs779.4 for consumption above 150kWh. Those bands are central to understanding the prices listed for household use, rather than treating all consumption above the initial allowance as carrying one rate.

The notice also keeps a lifeline tariff, a reduced-price allowance for qualifying households. Eligibility is tied to average monthly consumption over the previous six months, which must not exceed 100kWh. That condition makes a household’s recent electricity use important alongside the consumption bands shown in the tariff schedule.

For commercial consumers, the average tariff is Shs562.1 per kWh. The peak-hour rate is Shs666.5, compared with Shs429.7 during off-peak periods. Medium industrial manufacturers face an average of Shs363.8, with peak and off-peak rates of Shs436.7 and Shs284.3. Medium service-sector consumers pay an average of Shs423.9, rising to Shs508.6 at peak times and falling to Shs331.5 off-peak.

Larger factories receive lower average rates

Large manufacturers have lower listed average tariffs than their smaller industrial counterparts. Manufacturing customers classified as Block 1 pay Shs308.1 per kWh, while Block 2 customers pay Shs290.6. Large service-sector consumers have an average rate of Shs357, with peak power priced at Shs428.8 and off-peak electricity at Shs286.5. The schedule therefore distinguishes both customer size and business activity.

Extra-large industrial consumers, particularly manufacturers connected to the high-voltage network with average demand of at least 1,500kVA—a measure of electrical power demand—pay an average of Shs207.7 per kWh. Their peak rate is Shs233.2 and their off-peak rate Shs188.7. Extra-large service consumers with excess capacity declared by UEDCL pay Shs132.2; those without it pay an average of Shs224.2, with a peak rate of Shs310.3.

Public hospitals and street lighting supplied by municipalities, cities and towns have an average tariff of Shs360 per kWh. The energy rates do not replace other charges: UEDCL said fixed monthly fees, maximum-demand charges, inspection, connection and reconnection fees, and penalties for electricity theft remain applicable.

The next point to watch is how the schedule reaches customers’ bills and purchases. For postpaid accounts, UEDCL will apply the rates to bills based on meter readings taken from October through December. For prepaid customers, the relevant date is when electricity is purchased during that same period.