Egypt will raise electricity prices for commercial customers and for higher-use residential consumption brackets starting in April, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy said on Saturday 4 April in a statement, citing a “severe and unprecedented” global energy crisis linked to the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region.
The ministry emphasized that the decision is intended to preserve electricity supply while ensuring the increases would not apply to lower household consumption tiers, which account for the majority of subscribers.
Commercial customers typically include businesses, offices, shops, and industrial facilities, while higher-use residential customers are households that consume electricity above the standard due to larger homes, multiple air-conditioning units, or high-powered appliances.
The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy estimated that around 40 percent of customers fall within the lower consumption bands, adding that 86 percent of those users would be fully exempt from the new price hikes.
Electricity tariffs for households consuming up to 2,000 kilowatt-hours per month will remain unchanged, while consumption above that threshold and higher residential brackets will face an average increase of about 16 percent.
For commercial users, the ministry said prices would rise across all consumption brackets by an average of around 20 percent. It described the approach as a “fair distribution of burdens,” arguing that higher-consuming and more financially capable users should bear a larger share of the adjustment.
The April tariff revision forms part of a wider set of steps taken by the government to curb energy use and reduce fiscal pressure. The ministry linked the decision to rising energy import costs, which have strained public finances.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in March 2026 that Egypt’s energy import bill had more than doubled since the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran began, prompting additional policy measures such as higher fuel prices, increases in public transport fares, and the slowing of some state projects to ease pressure on government spending.
Egypt began implementing demand-rationalization measures in March, including earlier closing hours for commercial venues, as global oil prices rose.
The government is also operating under significant debt burdens, with interest payments consuming about half of government spending in the current fiscal year, while inflation remains in double digits after peaking at 38 percent in September 2023.
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