A growing number of residents in Ethiopia’s capital are expressing outrage over a sharp rise in electricity costs, which many say is straining their already tight household budgets. Social media has been flooded with complaints, prompting calls for immediate explanations from Ethiopian electric utility providers.
Residents across various neighborhoods in Addis Ababa report that recent prepaid electricity top-ups are no longer lasting as long as they did just months ago. In interviews with local outlets, several citizens described being shocked by the rate at which their prepaid balances are depleting — without a clear reason or official explanation.
“I used to recharge 1,000 birr and it would last the whole month,” said Martha, a mother of two. “Now, 800 birr barely gets me through a week. I don’t know what changed, but I’m struggling to keep up.”
Another resident, Markos, recounted a frustrating experience after he recharged his meter card with 1,500 birr. “When I tapped the card, the balance only showed 1,200 birr. I went back to the branch to ask, and they had no answers for me,” he said.
For lower-income families, the price jump is hitting especially hard. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said her household of four is now paying more than double the electricity costs they did earlier this year. “We’re already stretched thin trying to cover rent and groceries,” she said. “Now electricity has become another unaffordable burden.”
Efforts by local media to obtain clarification from the Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) and Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) have so far yielded little information. A representative at a branch office told reporters the issue was “beyond their scope of authority,” while repeated calls to the headquarters went unanswered.
While frustration grows in urban centers, nearly half of Ethiopia’s population—particularly in rural areas—still lacks reliable access to electricity altogether. Many had pinned hopes on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is projected to more than double the country’s current power generation capacity to over 6,000 megawatts.
The GERD, Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, was partially inaugurated in September and is expected to provide a long-term solution to the country’s chronic energy shortages. Officials have touted the project as a potential catalyst for affordable, widespread electrification across the country.
However, experts caution that GERD’s completion alone may not immediately translate into lower electricity prices for average citizens. Infrastructure bottlenecks, economic inflation, and regulatory inefficiencies may continue to influence energy costs, even as overall power output increases.
For now, residents in Addis Ababa say they are left in the dark — both literally and figuratively — as their utility bills soar without clarity or accountability. Many are calling on the government and electricity providers to issue a public explanation and introduce transparent pricing mechanisms to ease the burden on everyday consumers.
