Citizens’ complaints regarding the new fixed tariff for “code meters” have expanded just days after its implementation, with reports of significant increases in monthly charging costs. This prompted MP Ehab Mansour, Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives’ Labor Committee, to submit a briefing request to the government, demanding the decision be suspended and discussed in parliament.
Mansour told Al Manassa that he had received a large number of complaints from citizens surprised by the spike in electricity costs after the progressive banded tariff was abolished. He added that the briefing request aims to hold the government accountable for the social and legal basis of the decision, particularly in light of what he described as a failure to account for the differences between low-income and better-off families. He explained that parliament is waiting for a date to be set to discuss the request in the presence of government representatives.
According to testimonies from five citizens who spoke to Al Manassa, the application of the fixed rate has nearly doubled the cost of charging, despite consumption levels remaining constant in some cases.
Sameh Abdel Aziz, an employee from Shubra, said that two weeks after the new tariff was applied, his average monthly charging reached 380 Egyptian pounds (about $7.30), up from approximately 180 pounds (about $3.50). Similarly, Samar Hassan, a housewife from Faisal, said the 200 pounds (about $3.85) that used to last her nearly 20 days now runs out in just eight to 10 days.
In El Marg, Ahmed Fawzi said his monthly payments rose from an average of 120 pounds (about $2.30) to over 280 pounds (about $5.40) after the increase was implemented, despite his income remaining fixed at about 5,000 Egyptian pounds (about $96). Mona El Sayed, from Imbaba, noted that 300 pounds (about $5.80) now only covers about two weeks, whereas it previously met her needs for the entire month. Mohamed Ramadan, a driver from Giza, said he now has to charge his meter almost weekly in amounts ranging from 100 to 150 pounds (about $2.90), bringing his monthly total to over 500 pounds (about $9.60).
Some of those affected believe the decision’s impact is not limited to higher bills but also places code-meter holders under additional pressure amid the complexities of regularizing their status and converting these units into permanent legal meters—procedures citizens describe as costly and lengthy. “The disaster is they will ask you to go through long procedures and pay huge fees to install a legal meter,” Ramadan said.
At the beginning of this month, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy began applying a fixed rate to approximately 3.6 million code meters at a price of 2.74 pounds (about $0.05) per kilowatt-hour, replacing the banded system.
A senior ministry official confirmed to Al Manassa last week that the decision had already taken effect and the government would not reverse it despite parliamentary criticism. The source also stated that the ministry aimed to achieve savings of approximately 9 billion pounds (about $170 million) during 2026 by adjusting various consumption band prices, including code meters.
According to the Unified Platform for Electricity Services, code meters are temporary units installed for those obtaining electricity illegally. They are designed to ensure accurate accounting of actual consumption until a building’s legal status is regularized or the violation is removed.
Previous reporting by Al Manassa also indicated that the number of registered non-compliant units is approaching 4 million, as the government continues to extend reconciliation periods for building violations.
The decision is part of a series of measures taken by the government in recent months to address rising energy costs, including hikes in fuel prices, electricity tariffs, and the price of gas supplied to certain industries, alongside consumption rationalization measures.
The broad impact of the new pricing on low-income households may push the code-meter issue into a parliamentary confrontation, even as the government maintains the decision is a non-negotiable financial necessity.
