WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao government has officially announced new electricity and water tariffs that will take effect on May 1, 2026, bringing a slight reduction in electricity costs while water prices will increase across all user categories.
The tariff adjustments were published this week in an official government notification and form part of the monthly review mechanism tied to fuel costs and correction factors in utility production.
For electricity consumers, the adjustment will result in a small decrease in tariffs.
The government says the reduction is mainly due to a lower correction factor for March 2026, despite a slight increase in average fuel costs used for electricity production.
For domestic users consuming up to 250 kilowatt-hours (kWh), the total electricity tariff will drop from 0.5873 guilders per kWh to 0.5861 guilders.
Households consuming between 250 and 350 kWh will see rates decrease from 0.6936 guilders to 0.6924 guilders per kWh.
For households consuming more than 350 kWh, the rate will fall from 0.7378 to 0.7366 guilders per kWh.
Businesses will also benefit from the lower electricity rates.
Corporate electricity tariffs will decline slightly from 0.6970 to 0.6958 guilders per kWh.
Industrial users, export-oriented industries and import-replacing industries will also see minor reductions in both high-usage and low-usage tariff periods.
Hospitals, which benefit from a special tariff category, will also pay less for electricity under the new schedule.
While electricity becomes slightly cheaper, water tariffs are moving in the opposite direction.
The government announced that water prices will increase due to a higher correction factor for March, despite lower electricity costs related to water production.
For domestic users consuming up to 9 cubic meters of water, the total tariff will rise from 8.2792 guilders to 8.3228 guilders per cubic meter.
For usage between 9 and 12 cubic meters, the price increases from 13.4295 to 13.4731 guilders.
Consumers using between 12 and 20 cubic meters will now pay 15.4142 guilders instead of 15.3706.
Heavy domestic water users consuming more than 20 cubic meters will see the tariff increase from 17.3343 to 17.3779 guilders per cubic meter.
Commercial and industrial water users will also face higher rates.
Corporate and industrial standard users will pay 13.8428 guilders per cubic meter, up from 13.7992.
Export-oriented industries and hospitals will see their rates rise from 12.8492 to 12.8928 guilders.
Irrigation water rates will increase from 6.8503 to 6.8939 guilders per cubic meter.
The government says the adjustments reflect the operational realities of utility production and remain linked to fluctuations in fuel costs and correction mechanisms.
For households already facing rising living costs, the increase in water prices may add additional pressure, particularly for larger families and high-consumption households.
At the same time, the slight reduction in electricity rates offers only limited relief.
The new rates will officially come into force on Friday, May 1.
