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Egypt’s electricity ministry announced on Saturday a series of price hikes for high-consumption households and commercial users.
The government cited the severe global energy crisis, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region, as the primary driver for the increase.
While lower-income households consuming under 2,000 kilowatt-hours per month will be shielded from the changes, wealthier residential brackets will see an average rise of 16%, and commercial tariffs will climb by approximately 20%.
These measures are part of a broader strategy to manage mounting fiscal pressures in the Arab world’s most populous nation.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently noted that the country’s energy import bill has more than doubled since the outbreak of hostilities involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
To counter these costs, the state has already raised fuel prices and public transport fares while mandating earlier closing hours for businesses to rationalise energy use.
Egypt continues to face significant economic headwinds, with inflation remaining in the double digits and debt interest payments currently accounting for nearly half of all government spending.
Officials hope to keep the power supply steady for both homes and businesses by focusing on areas with higher usage. This will help keep public finances from getting worse.
The move underscores the growing domestic impact of the regional war on essential services and the national budget.
