Cabinet announces load shedding schedule in Egyptian governorates

CAIRO – 31 July 2023: Egypt’s Cabinet announced on Monday the schedule for power cuts in the different governorates as the country has been implementing a load shedding program since mid-July.

In the schedules, the Cabinet has determined the areas that will see power cuts in each hour in the different districts across each governorate.

This seemingly cancels a previous decision by the Cabinet to implement one-hour power cuts starting during the 10 minutes before and after the top of the hour.

The government has started its load shedding program due to the current severe heatwave and significant increase in electricity consumption.

The increased consumption has put severe pressure on the power networks and subsequently led to a drop in their gas pressure, the government said earlier this month.

In a press conference last week, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli announced a series of important decisions to address the electricity crisis.

The decisions included the implementation of an online work system for employees on Sundays throughout the month of August for government departments not directly involved in citizen services.

Furthermore, the premier emphasized the importance of setting air conditioning temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius to reduce electricity consumption.

Sports matches will be concluded before sunset to avoid electricity consumption in stadiums and sports facilities, Madbouli said.

Also, general lighting in public places will be reduced, and shipments of diesel fuel worth $250 to $300 million will be imported to help stabilize the power grid.