Homes and businesses with solar power systems could face additional charges if they feed excess electricity into the Kenya Power network without approval.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has introduced a dumping surcharge for electricity supplied to the grid without approval or a valid net-metering agreement.
Under the amended 2023 tariff schedule, consumers who feed electricity into the Kenya Power Company network without the required approval will have the power treated as dumping and be charged at the applicable base tariff.
The move comes as more homes and businesses turn to solar power to generate electricity and, in some cases, supply surplus power to the national grid.
Kenya Power has also warned consumers against making unauthorised connections, saying they could put its staff at risk and affect the stability of the national electricity network.
Rules on Solar Power Export
The measures are also provided for under the Energy (Net-Metering) Regulations, 2024, which allow consumers to generate electricity and supply surplus power to the national grid.
Under the regulations, solar power systems of up to one megawatt can export excess electricity to the Kenya Power network.
However, customers must first enter into a net-metering agreement before supplying the surplus electricity to the grid.
Kenya Power is also allowed to disconnect power systems that pose a threat to the safety, reliability or security of its distribution network.
Solar and Wind Power Impact on Grid
These new regulations are against the background of Kenya Power’s continued surveillance of the increased input of renewables into the national electricity grid.
On August 11, 2026, Kenya Power reported that wind and solar energy constituted 34 percent of the energy mix during daytime peaks.
According to the company, the variation in wind and solar energy production affects the frequency and voltage of the electricity grid.
This means that when production from the two sources suddenly falls or rises, other generators may have to be brought in to help maintain grid stability.
“Currently, VREs account for 34 per cent of the total energy mix during the day peak demand of 1900 MW and 36 per cent during low load demand of 1200 MW,” Kenya Power noted.
The company added that fluctuations in renewable energy generation expose the national grid to system vulnerability, requiring other generation sources to cushion the impact of the changes.