Before anyone can size a solar system, compare quotes or work out savings honestly, they need three things from your electricity bill: how many units you use, your tariff class, and what each unit really costs you. All three are on your KPLC bill or token receipts, if you know where to look.
Postpaid bill or prepaid tokens?
- Postpaid customers receive a monthly bill with meter readings, the units used and the charges.
- Prepaid customers buy tokens; each token receipt shows the units bought and how the payment was split between energy, charges and taxes.
The layout differs between bills, token receipts and the KPLC app or USSD service, but the same items appear.
The items that matter
| Item | What it tells you | Why it matters for solar |
|---|---|---|
| Account or meter number | Identifies your connection | Needed for any application to Kenya Power |
| Tariff or customer class | Domestic (DC), small commercial (SC), commercial and industrial (CI) or e-mobility | Sets the rate each solar unit saves |
| Units (kWh) | Energy used in the period, or bought with the token | The starting point for sizing |
| Energy charge | Units multiplied by the base rate | Only part of the real price |
| Fuel cost charge | Per kWh, changes monthly | Saved by every solar unit you use |
| Forex and inflation adjustments | Per kWh, change monthly | Saved too |
| Levies (ERC, REP, Water Resources Authority) | Small per kWh or percentage charges | Saved too |
| VAT | Tax on energy and fuel cost charges | Saved too |
| Maximum demand (CI bills) | Highest kVA recorded in the month | Sets the demand charge, which solar alone rarely reduces |
Working out what a unit really costs you
Divide the total paid for energy by the units:
For a home on the DC2 tariff using 500 kWh, the reviewed rates give roughly:
| Line | KES |
|---|---|
| Energy charge (500 kWh at KES 18.57) | 9,285 |
| Fuel cost charge | 1,755 |
| Forex adjustment | 590 |
| Inflation adjustment | 240 |
| ERC and Water Resources Authority levies | about 48 |
| Rural Electrification Programme levy | 465 |
| VAT | 1,765 |
| Total | about 14,150 |
That is about KES 28.30 per kWh, half as much again as the base rate alone. Every kWh of solar you use on site saves this all-in figure. Our KPLC unit cost article lists the all-in rates for every class.
What to collect before asking for quotes
- Twelve months of bills or token receipts. Use averages over the year, since rainy months, holidays and school terms change use.
- Your tariff class, exactly as printed.
- For businesses: maximum demand and, where shown, power factor for each month.
- When you use power. Bills show monthly totals, not the time of day. A smart meter, the KPLC time-of-use breakdown if you have one, or a simple log of your main appliances tells you how much falls in daylight, which decides how much solar you can use.
- Outage history, if you need backup.
Common surprises
- Token units vary from month to month, because the fuel cost charge and forex adjustment change monthly, so the same shillings buy different units.
- Using less can move you between tariff bands. Domestic customers using more or less than 100 kWh a month are priced differently.
- Bills estimated rather than read can be wrong; check the meter reading type and ask for an actual reading if needed.
Use your numbers
- Enter your units and tariff class in the free solar calculator.
- See Kenya electricity tariffs for the reviewed rates and demand charges by class.
- Then read how many solar panels a house needs or, for businesses, KPLC demand charges.