Ahram Online: Egypt will raise electricity prices for the commercial sector and higher household consumption brackets, starting in April, citing a “severe and unprecedented” global energy crisis driven by the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region.

In a statement, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy stressed that the increases will not affect lower household consumption tiers, which represent the majority of users.

It noted that around 40 percent of subscribers fall within these lower brackets, with 86 percent of them fully exempt from the new price hikes.

Electricity prices will remain unchanged for all household consumption tiers up to 2,000 kilowatt-hours per month, while this tier and higher consumption brackets will see an average increase of about 16 percent, added the statement.

Meanwhile, electricity prices for the commercial sector will rise across all brackets by an average of around 20 percent, as part of what it described as a “fair distribution of burdens,” with higher-consuming and more financially capable users bearing a larger share.

It said the measures were necessary to face the ongoing global energy crisis—described as one of the most serious in decades—and to ensure the continued supply of electricity to all sectors, including households, businesses, and industry.