The Ministries of Electricity and Petroleum have announced an extension of the nationwide power cuts by an additional hour on Sundays and Mondays as part of the country’s load-shedding program. This decision brings the total daily power-cutting hours to up to three hours.
In a statement released yesterday, the Cabinet explained that the extension was caused by the ongoing extreme heatwave, which led to increased local consumption of electricity and gas required for energy production.
The duration of load shedding extension is intended to uphold the operational efficiency of electricity production facilities and the national natural gas network, as stated.
Since July 2023, the Cabinet has been implementing systematic power reductions in various governorates, attributing this to the severe heatwave and a notable rise in electricity consumption.
According to the Egypt Today Website, the heightened level of consumption has placed significant strain on the power grids, resulting in reduced gas pressure, as the government reported last summer.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi recently announced that the power rationing initiative is designed to shield citizens from the burden of excessively high electricity bills.
In order to maintain a continuous electricity supply, Sisi highlighted the necessity for consumers to consider paying a higher price for electricity, possibly double or triple the current rate.
In a statement from April, Mohamed El-Homsany, the Cabinet Spokesman, emphasized that the power cut program is projected to result in annual savings of approximately $1 billion for the country.
