{For the last four days, electricity consumers could not buy power using MTN Mobile Money or Tigo Cash which resulted into long queues for users to access the services. }
In a press briefing held today, the management of REG has explained that the distraction was due to the new tariffs that were being fed into the system, having been enforced from the beginning of 1st January 2017.
The Managing Director of Energy Utility Company Limited (EUCL), Jean Claude Kalisa has said that buying electricity via mobile phones failed from 12 :00 am to 8:00 am of the New Year which affected users because of the new tariffs that had to be aligned with corresponding units in all telecommunication systems.
“The system got overloaded as consumers were buying electricity in bulk at the same time. The system slowed down and at times went off for a short time,” he said.
Kalisa explained that they were disappointed by the technology.
“The most important thing is that we solved the matter last night and now people can buy electricity easily,” he said.
{{New electricity tariffs }}
The new electricity tariffs went into effect from 1st January 2017, with prices set in accordance with the quantity of electricity consumed.
For consumers buying from 1 to 15 Kilowatt will be paying Rwf 89 down from Rwf 182 per unit. The price decrease equals 51%.
The price remained the same for people using from 15 to 50 kilowatts as a kilowatt is still paid at Rwf 182. Users of 50 kilowatts and above will be buying electricity at Rwf 189 per kilowatt.
Commercial buildings and government institutions buying electricity to 100 kilowatts will pay Rwf 182 per kilowatt while users of more than 100 kilowatts will pay Rwf 192 per unit.
Big industries saw electricity prices reduced to Rwf 83 per kilowatt and Rwf 90 to medium industries down from Rwf 126 per electricity unit. The CEO of EUCL, Kalisa explained that the reduction aims at enhancing a large number of Rwandans access to electricity and attract many investors.
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