The Egyptian Electric Holding Company is once again asking consumers to reduce consumption in order to avoid power cuts that have reached unprecedented levels in recent days.
The ministry has been reducing loads amid growing consumption in the summer months and the shortage of fuel needed to operate power stations.
Mohamed al-Yemany, the ministry spokesperson, said the problem is expected to be solved in four years, adding that the coming summer will be better.
In an interview on Sada al-Balad TV on Monday, Yemany said, “The consumption rate did not reach 6,000 kilowatts on Monday as circulated in the media,” adding that it was 5,000 kilowatts and is expected to gradually decline by the end of the month.
In another interview on CBC Extra TV on Monday, Yemany said the electricity deficit broke the record, causing cuts everywhere.
“The ministry is working on providing modern technologies to warn citizens against power cuts either through telephones, media outlets or SMS,” he added.
The power cut crisis has grown to unprecedented levels in Gharbiya.
Electricity was cut yesterday 12 times for a total of 20 hours except for the governor's villa, the security department and other pivotal establishments.
Work was completely stopped at thousands of houses, workshops and stores, provoking the wrath of citizens.
A source from Tanta's electricity company said that 4,000 citizens abstained from paying the bills, which is expected to cause huge losses.
"The company will be warn them before cutting the service," he added.
Around 3,000 plants in al-Mahalla al-Kobra were closed due to the crisis. Workers were given an unpaid day-off.
The workforce department in Gharbiya filed an urgent memorandum to the Cabinet demanding intervention to rescue the plants and considering the city as an industrial zone where electricity should not be cut in.
Work at all governmental authorities without exception was halted, causing congestion by citizens outside service departments and offices.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
