Data from Uganda’s Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), indicated that electricity distribution businesses lose roughly 169 megawatts every three months that goes unsold.
According to the ERA Electricity Distribution Statistics report for the quarter ending September 2021, power firms bought 1,108 megawatts from generator companies but only sold 897 megawatts.
Research shows, at least 212 megawatts of energy went unsold, resulting in 19.1 percent energy losses.
According to statistics collected over a six-year period beginning in 2016, energy losses increased by 17.6 percent on average.
While it is unclear why the losses increased, Covid-19 may have impacted power use, causing a decrease in economic activity.
ERA data shows that energy losses have averaged 16.4 percent since 2016, but soared to 17.8 percent in the quarter ending September 2020, before rising to 19.1 percent in the quarter ending September 2021.
Distributors are set performance objectives over which they are penalized, according to Eng Ziria Tibalwa Waako, the ERA chief executive officer, who spoke to Daily Monitor yesterday.
“We establish goals for them, and if they don’t fulfill them, they lose money.” “Rather than being paid for bad performance, they are penalized,” she explained.
Umeme had the fewest distribution losses (18.4%) in the quarter ending September 2021, followed by Kyegegwa Rural Electricity Cooperative Society Limited with 24%.
Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) suffered the most losses at 44.1 percent, followed by Kalangala Infrastructure Limited at 33.3 percent.
Over the six-year reporting period, Umeme was the largest electricity purchaser, with an average purchase of 934 megawatts.