The Kenya Power and Lighting Company has explained why many customers feel they are receiving fewer electricity tokens despite spending the same amount of money when purchasing prepaid power.
Speaking during a media interview, Kenya Power Chief Executive Officer Joseph Siror said the perception that electricity has become more expensive largely depends on how much power a household consumes and the type of appliances being used.
Siror explained that households with minimal electricity consumption are usually billed under the subsidised lifeline tariff, which offers cheaper electricity rates for low usage.
According to the CEO, households that use only a few basic appliances such as energy-saving bulbs can remain within the lifeline category and therefore pay less for electricity.
“The perception that electricity is expensive is subjective depending on consumption,” Siror said during the interview.
He explained that if a household runs several low-wattage bulbs for many hours, the electricity used may still fall within the lifeline category, which attracts lower charges compared to higher consumption brackets.
However, households operating energy-intensive equipment such as water pumps, swimming pools, refrigerators, electric cookers and other heavy appliances are likely to consume more electricity and therefore incur higher bills.
Siror also noted that the cost of electricity reflects the large investments required to build and maintain the country’s electricity infrastructure.
He explained that electricity must be transmitted through extensive power lines, transformers and distribution networks before reaching homes and businesses across the country.
Maintaining and expanding this infrastructure, he said, requires significant financial investment.
The CEO further noted that Kenya relies heavily on renewable energy sources, particularly geothermal power, which also requires costly infrastructure to develop and maintain.
Kenya’s strong focus on green energy has helped reduce reliance on fossil fuels but comes with high initial investment costs in power generation facilities and transmission networks.
The explanation comes weeks after customers raised concerns over a noticeable reduction in electricity units received when purchasing tokens.
Some customers reported that a purchase of Ksh3,000, which previously bought more than 115 units, was now delivering about 94 units within a short period.
Kenya Power has clarified that one reason for the difference is automatic deductions used to recover outstanding electricity bills.
According to the company, up to 20 per cent of a token purchase may be used to clear previous arrears before the remaining balance is converted into electricity units.
For example, if a customer buys tokens worth Ksh3,000, about Ksh600 may first be deducted to settle pending bills before the rest is used to purchase electricity units.
The company also noted that customers who consume more than 100 units of electricity per month automatically move to a higher domestic tariff category, where electricity costs more per unit.
