The Kenyan government is seemingly pushing hard for the adoption of electric mobility as the state now considers scrapping the monthly limit on the cheaper electricity that EV owners can enjoy.
As it stands, EV-battery charging firms are limited to supplying a maximum of 15,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) monthly at cheaper prices. Once this limit is reached, they are charged power under the normal tariffs. With this tariff, EV firms pay KES 16 per unit during peak hours and KES 8 per unit during off-peak hours. This is less than half of the normal KES 20 per unit that small commercial customers pay.
According to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), the government will get rid of this tariff after requests from EV firms that have gone past the cap due to increased demand for EV charging. This will probably mean that EV drivers can get cheaper charging costs at a consistent basis.
The limit tariff was introduced last year to protect Kenya Power from further revenue losses due to the cheaper tariffs.
Speaking in Nairobi during the launch of a campaign to spread electric mobility awareness countrywide, Epra Director-General Daniel Kiptoo stated the need for a conversation between Kenya Power and the stakeholders for a higher threshold for cheaper electricity.
“This is a matter of balance of ensuring that the sector’s revenues are met, the utility is financially sustainable but also we continue to incentivise the uptake of e-mobility,” he added.
He stated that after gathering all the data around EV uptake in the country, the tariff could be removed entirely by June 2026 as the state looks to make it easier for Kenyans to adopt EV technology that still feels new.
