The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) is currently reviewing Jungle Energy Power’s (JEP) electricity tariff applications for Nimba and Bong counties. The Commission held public hearings in both counties to solicit input from customers, stakeholders, and local government officials.
During the hearings, JEP’s General Manager Alieu Keita informed the Commission that the company is proposing to maintain the current three end-user tariffs for residential and commercial customers at US$0.25 per kilowatt-hour, while medium voltage customers will pay US$0.215 for a three-year period beginning January 2025.
Keita also shared that JEP expects to connect 8,741 new customers to its network in the Bong and Nimba distribution areas during the proposed tariff period.
However, the company is facing challenges, including a significant variance between the monthly bills received from the Ivorian utility CIE and the readings from JEP’s own meters, resulting in substantial financial losses.
Stakeholders raised concerns about continuous power outages, low voltage, and the need for grid expansion across communities. They recommended that JEP be connected to the Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (CLSG) electricity network to address the issue of low voltage and reduce the level of outages.
Commissioner Kla-Edward Toomey, II, who chaired the public hearings, stated that the Commission’s decision on JEP’s tariff application will be announced in December 2024 and will address all substantive comments raised during the process.
The new approved electricity tariffs will go into effect in January 2025 and last for three years, subject to minor adjustments.
