Kenya Power (KPLC) electricity tariffs follow a progressive, tiered structure where higher consumption results in higher costs per unit. Your tariff category, determined by your three-month average electricity consumption, directly affects how many token units you receive for the shillings you spend. Kenya Power divides domestic users into three brackets:
- Domestic 1 (Lifeline): 0 to 30 kWh per month. Designed for low-usage households such as small apartments or rural homes with minimal appliances To maintain this status, you must consistently keep your monthly consumption below 30 kWh for at least three billing cycles.
- Domestic 2 (Ordinary): 31 to 100 kWh per month. Common in households with a fridge, lighting, TV, and moderate appliance usage. Crossing the 30 kWh threshold in any one month may bump you into this bracket, depending on your three-month average.
- Domestic 3 (High Consumption): 101 to 15,000 kWh per month. Intended for high-usage households with electric ovens, washing machines, or large families. This bracket yields fewer tokens per shilling spent, reducing the value of your purchase.
Kenya Power doesn’t evaluate your usage in isolation. Instead:
- They automatically recalculates your tariff using a rolling three-month average, not just your current month’s consumption.
- They assign you a tariff band based on that average.
- They apply that rate until the next review cycle.
Example:
If your monthly consumption over three months is as follows:
January: 25 kWh
February: 35 kWh
March: 40 kWh
Your average = 33.3 kWh
You’ll be moved to Domestic 2. Once you’re bumped up, it takes three consistent low-usage months to drop back into a lower band.
KPLC tariff structure
These are the core tariffs set by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company.
| Charges (KES) | ||
| Tariff | Energy charge (per kWh) | Demand charge (per kVA) |
| DC (Domestic – Lifeline 0-30, 240 V) For average consumption below 30kWh | 12.14 | N/A |
| DC1 (Domestic – Lifeline 31-100, 240 V) For average consumption between 31kWh and 10kWh | 16.50 | N/A |
| DC2 (Domestic, 240 V) and IT (Domestic water heating) For average consumption over 100kWh | 18.57 | N/A |
| SC1 (Small Commercial 1, 240 V) For average consumption below 30kWh | 12.28 | N/A |
| SC2 (Small Commercial 2, 240 V) For average consumption between 31kWh and 100kWh | 16.30 | N/A |
| SC3 (Small Commercial 3, 240 V) For average consumption above 100kWh | Regular: 19.00 TOU: 9.50 | N/A |
| CI1 (Commercial, 415 V) | Regular: 13.44 TOU: 6.72 | 1,100 |
| CI2 (Commercial, 11 kV) | Regular: 12.16 TOU: 6.08 | 700 |
| CI3 (Commercial, 33 kV) | Regular: 11.68 TOU: 5.84 | 370 |
| CI4 (Commercial, 66 kV) | Regular: 11.42 TOU: 5.71 | 300 |
| CI5 (Commercial, 132 kV) | Regular: 11.16 TOU: 5.58 | 300 |
| CI6 (Commercial) / CI7 (Special Economic Zone) | Regular: 10.00 TOU: 7.42 | 200 |
| EM (E-mobility) | Regular: 16.00 TOU: 8.00 | N/A |
Time of Use tariffs
Time of Use (TOU) tariffs offer varying rates for peak and off-peak electricity usage, available to eligible customers.
Surcharges
Surcharges are applied on all tariffs as follows.
| Surcharge | Rate / Notes |
| Fuel Cost Charge (FCC) | Variable rate per kWh, published monthly by KPLC in the Kenya Gazette (but not on their website!). It is reflective of the cost (to KPLC) of generating electricity during the previous month. |
| Foreign Exchange Rate Fluctuation Adjustment (FERFA) | Variable rate per kWh, published monthly by KPLC. This includes the sum of the foreign currency costs incurred by KenGen, sum of the foreign currency costs incurred by KPLC other than those costs relating to Electric Power Producer, and the sum of the foreign currency costs incurred by KenGen. |
| Inflation Adjustment (IA) | Variable rate per kWh, published monthly by KPLC. Factors include the Underlying Consumer Price Index as posted by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the Consumer Prices Index for all urban consumers (CPI – U) for the US city average for all items 1982 – 84 as published by the United States Department of Labour Statistics. We are not certain why the cost of Kenyan electricity depends on how much folks in the USA are spending. |
| WARMA Levy | Variable rate per kWh, published monthly by KPLC. It is determined from the amount of energy supplied from hydroelectric facilities in the previous month. |
| ERC Levy | 8 cents per kWh |
| REP Levy | 5% of the base rate |
| Power Factor Surcharge | A surcharge applied if the consumer’s power factor falls below 0.9. The surcharge applied is 2% of the base rate and the demand charge for every 1 per cent by which the Power Factor is below 0.9. |
| VAT | 16% on demand charge, fuel energy cost and non-fuel energy cost. (Prior to 2 September 2013, consumption less than 200kWh was excluded from VAT, and VAT was charged at 12%. These concessions were removed in the VAT Act 2013.) |
How to confirm your tariff category
- Prepaid meter users
- Check your token SMS. Divide the token value (excluding taxes) by the number of units to estimate your rate.
- Or dial *977# > “Prepaid Services” > “Token Details” to view recent token rates
- Postpaid Customers
- Visit the Kenya Power self-service portal or dial *977# > “Postpaid Services” > “My Bill”
How regain a lower tariff category
To qualify for Domestic 1 or Domestic 2:
- Track your monthly usage regularly.
- Reduce your consumption consistently to stay below the desired threshold for at least three consecutive billing cycles.
- Kenya Power will automatically reassess your tariff and reassign it.
- If the reassignment doesn’t occur, contact Kenya Power’s customer care or visit the nearest office to request a manual review.
Kenya Power uses this system for several reasons:
- Social equity: To subsidize electricity for low-income or low-usage households
- Cost recovery: To recover costs of production and supply, including fuel and inflation adjustments, foreign exchange variations, VAT, and other levies
- Consumption management: To incentivize households to use electricity efficiently and reduce national grid pressure
How to stay in the lower tariff category
Simple and actionable strategies include:
- Switch to LED lighting and energy-efficient appliances.
- Unplug devices when not in use to avoid phantom power consumption.
- Minimize high-draw appliances like electric kettles, irons, and washing machines.
- Consider solar-powered lighting and water heating.
- Use heavy appliances during off-peak hours, if your billing system supports time-of-use.
- Monitor your usage every month and stay under 30 or 100 kWh, depending on your target bracket.
