Windhoek: The Electricity Control Board (ECB) has announced a 3.7 per cent increase in NamPower's bulk electricity tariff for the 2026/27 financial year. This decision was made public during a media briefing by ECB Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kahimise, marking a decrease from the 8.4 per cent hike initially requested by NamPower.According to Namibia Press Agency, the ECB had initially settled on a 4.8 per cent increase, which was already lower than NamPower's original application. However, after discussions with the Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, and the allocation of a combined N$90 million from the Long Run Marginal Cost Fund and the National Energy Fund, the increase was reduced further to 3.7 per cent. This adjustment means the average bulk electricity tariff will rise from N$2.06 per kWh to N$2.14 per kWh starting from 01 August 2026, a figure lower than the N$2.23 per kWh that would have been in effect if NamPower's full proposal had been approved.Kahimise highlighted that without gov ernment support, consumers would have faced the full brunt of a 4.8 per cent increase. He described the intervention as a necessary step to alleviate the financial impact on consumers during challenging economic times. Furthermore, he noted that the approved tariff increase, being below the current inflation rate of 4.4 per cent, is unlikely to exacerbate inflationary pressures. He instructed all electricity distributors to keep existing social tariffs in place to safeguard vulnerable consumers.Electricity distributors, including the City of Windhoek, are now tasked with submitting their own tariff proposals to the ECB to ensure alignment with the new bulk tariff before its implementation on 01 August 2026. Under the updated bulk tariff, residential customers purchasing N$100 worth of electricity will receive varying amounts of kWh depending on their location: 37.60 kWh from the City of Windhoek, 35.52 kWh from CENORED, 31.11 kWh from Erongo RED, 33.89 kWh from the Keetmanshoop Municipality, and 36.35 kWh f rom NORED.