Sierra Leone Has Africa’s Most Expensive Residential Electricity Tariff, Datta Shows

A new comparison by energy data firm Electron Intelligence places Sierra Leone at the top among 22 African electricity markets, with a residential electricity tariff of about 22.8 US cents per kWh. Liberia follows closely at about 22 cents, while the African median is around 13.4 cents.

The report says high electricity costs are linked to factors such as Sierra Leone’s relatively small power system, generation costs, fuel sources and the financial challenges facing the electricity sector. The government is also expected to provide an additional US$42.5 million to support electricity supply and EDSA’s obligations to independent power producers.

The article also explains that prepaid meters, introduced to improve revenue collection, make tariff increases more immediately noticeable because consumers pay before using electricity. Sierra Leone continues to face major electricity-access challenges, with many people still outside the national grid.