Egypt raises electricity prices for higher consumption tiers amid global energy crisis

CAIRO – 4 April 2026: Egypt has announced increases in electricity prices for select residential and commercial consumption brackets starting in April, citing the global energy crisis triggered by escalating military tensions in the region.

In a statement late on Saturday, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy said the hikes “are limited to higher consumption brackets, which include more affluent groups.”

Meanwhile, it stressed that it had been “keen to ensure that the increases do not affect lower household consumption brackets, which include the majority of Egyptians.”

Tariffs for all consumption levels up to 2,000 kilowatt-hours per month will remain unchanged, the statement said, with increases applied only to that tier and above, at an average rate of around 16%.

It added that around 40% of subscribers fall within the lowest residential consumption categories, with 86% of those exempt from the increases.

Commercial electricity prices across all brackets will rise by about 20% on average, as part of “the principle of social participation and the equitable distribution of burdens among different segments of the population,” read the statement.

The move ensures that “users with higher ability and greater benefit from electricity contribute more than others.”

The ministry attributed the hikes to the “unprecedented and severe global crisis in all energy resources” caused by the ongoing war in the Gulf region, saying it had no choice but to implement these “necessary increases.”

The measures stem from the ministry’s “commitment to ensuring the continued supply of electricity for all Egyptians, meeting their needs across residential, commercial, and industrial consumption,” the statement added.

Energy-Saving Measures

US-Israeli strikes on Iran, subsequent Iran’s retaliatory attacks across the Gulf, and Tehran’s near closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, have sent global energy prices soaring.

 

In response, Egypt has rolled out a series of measures to curb energy consumption over the past weeks, including early shop closures, a partial remote work regime, and reductions in street lighting.

The government has also cut public spending and increased fuel prices by up to 30%.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Egypt’s energy import bill surged from $1.2 billion in January to $2.5 billion in March, as the regional war drove a sharp increase in global fuel, petroleum, liquefied natural gas, and crude oil prices.

He noted that the rise in global energy prices has directly increased the country’s import bill, placing added strain on public finances

As part of the government’s response, he announced a two-month slowdown of major projects that consume large amounts of diesel and gasoline.