Tag Archives: ERC

How to identify genuine electric appliances; fridges, iron boxes, TVs, air conditioners

Did you know that Appliances purchased and used in Kenya must adhere to the (Appliance energy performance and labeling) Regulations 2016.

The Energy Regulatory Commission, ERC,has put in place measures to ensure that electricity use at the domestic and commercial levels is sustainable. These measures target six power-consuming appliances which must have ERC efficiency labels.

Photo- Assorted electric appliances.

The labels act as a guide on the energy efficiency of an appliance. The ERC energy efficiency labels have a minimum of 1 star and a maximum of 5 stars. An appliance with a 5-star label has the highest energy efficiency.

Photo- A 5 star rated electric appliance means the appliance is efficient in terms of energy consumption.

The six appliances on which you must look out for the star rating are; refrigerators, motors, ballasts, self-ballasted lamps, double capped lamps and air conditioners.

The aim of the regulation is to ensure that appliances manufactured or imported meet specified minimum energy efficiency standards and ensure that consumers are informed about the annual energy consumption and star rating of the appliances, before making a purchasing decision. Next time you are out shopping, kindly look out for the efficiency labels.

The Commission has installed a hotline number (0708 444 000), operational during normal working hours, with a view of increasing its engagement with stakeholders to enhance enforcement and compliance activities.

KPLC reviews electricity bill rates; here are the new retail electricity tariffs

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has reviewed, approved and published a new set of Retail Electricity Tariff to replace the Tariff Approved in August 2018

The revised tariff is affecting Domestic Customers and Small Commercial Customers only, (Other customer categories like Commercial and Industrial, Street Lighting are unaffected).

The new tariff is effective from 1st November 2018, for both Prepaid and Postpaid customers.

The revised tariff rates affect energy consumption charges only and do not affect taxes, levies, Fuel Cost Charges, Forex and Inflation adjustment.

For Domestic Consumers, the changes are as follows: –

a). The Domestic Consumer 1 (Lifeline Customers);
The consumption band has been adjusted from 0-10 Units to 0-100 units.
Energy charge has reduced from Shs. 12 per kWh to Shs. 10 per kWh for customers whose band was 0-10 units and from Shs. 15.8 per kWh to Shs. 10 per kWh for customers whose consumption was between 11-100 Units per month.

b). The Domestic Consumer 2 (Domestic Ordinary);
Consumption band has been set at ABOVE 100 units per month.
The energy rate applicable remains unchanged at Shs. 15.8 per kWh.

For Small Commercial, the existing category has been split into two as shown below. –

a). Small Commercial 1
i). Applicable to businesses classified as small commercial whose consumption is between 0-100 units per month.
ii). The energy rate has/been reduced from Shs. 15.6 per kWh to Shs. 10 per kWh.

b). Small Commercial 2
Applicable to businesses classified as Small Commercial whose consumption is between 101-15000 units per month;

i). Their charge rate has remained unchanged at Shs. 15.6 per kWh.

Both DC and SC customers are shifted from 1 to 2 if the average three months’ consumption including the current billing cycle is greater than the prescribed threshold.

Like in the August tariff, there is no graduated billing on consumption. A DC or SC customer will be charged at the same rate (receive same units for equal amount of money) irrespective of the time of vending within the same month.

The rates set are exclusive of the Monthly Pass-through costs, Taxes and Levies. The pass-through costs include Fuel Cost Charge, Forex Levy and Inflation adjustment, while the levies and tax include, VAT, ERC levy and Rural Electrification Program levy.

Also read;

ERC announces increases in pump prices; Prices of Diesel, Petrol and Kerosene go up

In accordance with Legal Notice No.196 of 2010, the Energy (Petroleum Pricing) Regulations and the amendment thereof, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has calculated the maximum retail pump prices of petroleum products, which will be in force from 15th November to 14th December 2018.

Taking into account the weighted average cost of imported refined petroleum products, the changes in the maximum allowed petroleum pump prices in Nairobi are as follows:

  • Super Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene increases by KShs. 2.38, KShs. 3.11 and KShs. 2.99 per litre respectively. The prices are inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) at 8% in line with the provisions of the Finance Act 2018. Changes in this month’s prices have been as a consequence of the average landed cost of imported Super Petrol increasing by 4.02% from US$ 729.04 per ton in September 2018 to US$ 758.34 per ton in October 2018
  • Diesel increasing by 5.84% from US$ 700.41 per ton to US$ 741.33 per ton and Kerosene increasing by 5.80% from US$ 721.64 per ton to US$ 763.47 per ton.

Above; Press Statement from the ERC on the latest fuel prices review:

Below: New pump prices across major cities and towns in Kenya:

Below: The complete breakdown of costs with Nairobi used as an example:

New Pump prices announced; Super Petrol drops by Kshs. 4.57, Kerosene by Kshs. 6.61 per litre.

The Energy Regulatory Commission, ERC, has today announced new pump prices which will be in force from 15th December 2018 to 14th January, 2019. Via a presser released today, the ERC says the decrease in pump prices has been occasioned by reduction in fuel products at the global market. “Taking into account the weighted average cost of imported refined petroleum products, the changes in the maximum allowed petroleum pump prices in Nairobi are as follows: Super Petrol, Diesel & Kerosene decreases by KShs. 4.57, KShs. 0.55 and KShs. 6.61 per litre respectively,” says the ERC.

NEW PETROL PRICES:

A litre of Petrol will trade at Kshs. 110.91 in Mombasa, Kshs. 113.54 in Nairobi, 114.02 in Nakuru and Kshs. 115.01 in Kisumu. The commodity will be most expensive at Mandera where a Litre will now cost kshs. 126.39.

NEW DIESEL PRICES:

It will now cost you Kshs. 112.28 per litre of Diesel in Nairobi. The same commodity will be sold at Kshs. 109.66, Kshs. 112.96, Kshs. 113.96 and Kshs. 113.95 in Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu respectively.

The new prices are inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) at 8% in line with the provisions of the Finance Act of 2018.

Check out the new pump prices for other major towns across the country, below: