Users of kerosene and diesel to pay more as prices go up

The price of kerosene and diesel has increased marginally for the next one month.

However, the regulator offered a reprieve to consumers of super petrol, bringing down the retail price by Sh0.46 a litre.

Households that use kerosene will pay Sh0.90 more.

Motorists and machine operators who rely on diesel have not been spared, with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) increasing the fuel’s retail price by Sh0.70 in its monthly pricing guide released on Wednesday.

Higher energy bills

Following the latest review, a litre of petrol will now retail at Sh107.46 in Nairobi while diesel and kerosene will retail at a maximum price of Sh97.86 and Sh77.45 respectively. The upward review of the price of kerosene adds to the bills of poor households that mostly rely on this energy source for lighting and cooking.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics show that the price of electricity rose 22 per cent year-on-year at the end of February while that of cooking gas went up 8.79 per cent. The price of charcoal also rose by 5.91 per cent.

ERC Director-General Robert Oimeke said in a statement the new prices were a reflection of changes in the weighted average cost of imported refined petroleum products. This was despite the free on board price of Murban crude oil dropping for the first time in nine months. In February, a barrel was posted at $ 66.15 (Sh6,681), being a decrease of 5.16 per cent from $69.75 (7,014) in January. While the average landed cost of imported super petrol decreased, that of diesel and kerosene increased.