The Ministry of Electricity has confirmed it is providing facilities for installing metering system at households with unmetered power connections currently in place.
These facilities enable households without electricity transformers to obtain an electric current, provided they pay for due procedures of inspection and measurement. This includes a price for a kilowatt paid in case the transformer is not delivered.
Citizens can make requests to obtain electricity meters via an electronic platform launched by the Ministry of Electricity, and submit documents proving an electric current exists at their residential units.
Mohammed Shaker, Minister of Electricity and Energy, stressed that maintenance work is regular, and that breakdowns and power outages due to the rising summer temperatures are being addressed.
Shaker added that power outages and breakdowns have decreased significantly thanks to cooperation with citizens to preserve the network’s capacities.
He added that distribution companies have provided meters to implement the cabinet decision to replace the current unmetered power connections in some informal housing areas with flat-rate meters to calculate consumption.
The new regulations have provided facilities for citizens to ensure they settle with electricity companies, with the help of the Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency.
Hossam Afifi, head of the North Cairo Electricity Distribution Company, said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will not hinder the electricity sector’s work.
The necessary work continues to secure citizens ’electricity requirements, implementing necessary maintenance programmes, and facing malfunctions and power outages.
He stressed that code meters do not give their owner any advantage, but ensure citizens are held accountable for their usage according to actual consumption rates. This is especially with citizens whose consumption is high, but who have refused to install meters as they were receiving electricity almost free of charge.
He said that the duration required to install meters in informal housing areas is up to one year. A daily rate for installing electricity meters will be determined according to the requirements of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC).
The company has a database, according to which the measures will be taken to ensure the stability of the current and avoid affecting the areas surrounding these slums.
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