Electricity regulatory Authority (ERA) has approved new costs for Electricity Connections to enable members of the Public able meet the full cost of a connection to pay and get connected while those unable to pay, to wait for the Government to raise the funds required to implement the Electricity Connection Policy.
In a December 9 2020 statement, the regulator breaks down the costs as follows:
Following a Policy Directive from the Government of Uganda in line with Section 17 of the Electricity Act 1999, Chapter 145 of the Laws of Uganda with respect to implementation of the Electricity Connection Policy (ECP), ERA has approved new costs that shall be charged to customers by the Electricity Distribution Licensees / Service Providers in respect of the different connection types as follows:
a) No pole single phase connection cost.
Table 1: No pole single phase connection cost
| S/N | Type of metering | Cost (Ush.) |
| 1 | Wired pre-paid split meter | 576,773 |
| 2 | Wireless Pre-paid split meter & PLC | 610,918 |
b) No pole three phase connection cost.
Table 2: No pole three phase connection cost
| S/N | Existing Network | Type of metering | Cost (Ush) |
| 1 | Bare Conductor | Time of use meter | 2,031,325 |
| 2 | Three-phase wired pre-paid split meter | 2,882,288 | |
| 3 | Three-phase wireless pre-paid split meter | 2,990,960 | |
| 4 | kVA meter | 3,446,497 | |
| 5 | ABC Conductor | Time of use meter | 2,030,083 |
| 6 | Three-phase wired pre-paid split meter | 2,881,046 | |
| 7 | Three-phase wireless pre-paid split meter | 2,989,719 | |
| 8 | kVA meter | 3,445,256 |
c) One pole single phase connection cost.
Table 3: One pole single phase connection cost
| S/N | Existing Network | Conductor used for connection | Type of metering | 2020 Cost (Ush) |
| 1 | Bare Conductor | Bare | Wired pre-paid split meter | 1,989,135 |
| 2 | Wireless Pre-paid split meter & PLC | 2,023,281 | ||
| 3 | ABC | Wired pre-paid split meter | 2,308,019 | |
| 4 | Wireless Pre-paid split meter & PLC | 2,342,165 | ||
| 5 | ABC Conductor | ABC | Wired pre-paid split meter | 2,288,896 |
| 6 | Wireless Pre-paid split meter & PLC | 2,323,041 |
d) Standardized labor and transport costs.
Table 4: Labour and Transport Costs
| Type of connection | Labour and transport standardized cost (Ush) |
| Single phase – No pole | 50,000 |
| Single phase – 1 pole | 210,000 |
| Three phase – No pole | 90,000 |
e) The approved new connection cost is inclusive of meter test fees of Ush 8,000 payable to Uganda National Bureau of Standards.
f) Inspection Fees applicable: Ush 41,300.
ERA further informs the General Public that:
1. All Licensed Electricity Distribution Companies have been directed to make Electricity Connections for Customers who have the financial capacity and willingness to pay for their connections at Regulated Connection Costs, Effective Monday, 7th December 2020.
2. All Licensed Electricity Distribution Companies are directed to publish the ERA-Approved Connection Costs to their customers using customer appropriate platforms including visible charts in their various field offices.
3. The consumers who had earlier applied for Electricity Connection through the ECP shall be required to top up payment in line with the ERA-Approved new connection charges, and sign an addendum to the application consenting to ability and willingness to pay the cost reflective connection charges in order to be connected to power supply.
4. Consumers who earlier made application through the ECP but do not have capacity to top up payment in line with the ERA-Approved new connection charges shall be advised to wait until such a time when Government has mobilized resources to finance the new connections as guided by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development in the Policy Directive.
5. Connections paid for by the consumers will be assigned identification codes to clearly differentiate them from the free connections.
Brief on the Policy Directive
The Policy Directive notes that the Free Connection Policy has been implemented since November 2018 and has achieved close to the target of 300,000 new connections per year.
It further notes that the high number of new connections requires a correspondingly high budget provision from Government which has become a challenge especially under the Covid-19 conditions with many competing demands.
Consequently, to ensure that electricity connections continue, those who have the ability and are willing to pay for their connections will be allowed to do so and get connected to electricity, while the free connections provision of the Electricity Connections Policy will be maintained for members of the public willing to wait for the Government to mobilize resources.