Cash power will cost $0.84 sene per unit from tomorrow Monday, October 1 and is the highest it has been all year. 

Earlier this month the Office of the Regulator approved a three sene increase in the energy charge of electricity from $0.48 to $0.51 sene.

In announcement its decision, the Electric Power Corporation said the charges were increased based on August’s fuel prices. The power produced independently for Samoa by the likes of solar farms and the wind turbine were also allegedly factored into the cost.

From tomorrow domestic users buying up to 100 units of power will pay $0.70 sene, and $0.84 sene for 101 or more units. Commercial users will pay $0.84 sene per unit regardless of the amount.

The electricity market in Samoa was opened up recently to encourage competition by independent power producers, with the expectation that consumers would eventually get to benefit from lower rates.

Despite the presence of alternative energy suppliers in Samoa in the form of renewable energies like solar and wind, the E.P.C. is still the only power distributer in the country.