Cairo, April 5 (NationPress) - The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy in Egypt has declared an increase in electricity prices for both residential and commercial users, effective this April, citing the ongoing global energy crisis resulting from the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

In a statement released late Saturday (local time), the ministry described the current situation as an "acute and unprecedented global crisis" affecting all energy resources, which has been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region. This has led to necessary price adjustments for several tiers of electricity consumption starting this month, according to reports from Xinhua.

The increase for commercial electricity usage will average around 20 percent across various brackets.

For residential users, the prices for those consuming 2,000 kWh or more monthly will see an average hike of 16 percent, while rates for all tiers consuming less than 2,000 kWh will remain stable.

This decision is part of a broader set of actions taken by the Egyptian government in response to the evolving global energy landscape.

Austerity measures introduced in late March included the implementation of remote work systems, a slowdown in the execution of fuel-intensive mega-projects, and a 30 percent reduction in fuel allocations for government vehicles.

Additionally, the government has reduced business hours for shops, restaurants, cafes, and malls, as well as cutting street lighting and billboard illumination by one-third.

On April 3, Egypt activated four new natural gas wells in the Mediterranean Sea and the Western Desert, aiming to enhance domestic energy production and lessen dependency on imports.

The new wells, located in the offshore West Burullus field and the Khalda fields, are projected to yield a combined total of 120 million cubic feet of gas daily, as reported by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

This comes as Egypt faces escalating energy prices due to the regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. The supply of Israeli natural gas, which typically constitutes nearly 20 percent of Egypt's total consumption, has been interrupted since the commencement of US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

The government is actively working to boost oil and gas production following a decline in natural gas output in recent years. As of August 2025, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly indicated that Egypt's current production is at 4.1 billion cubic feet per day, with aspirations to reach 6.6 billion cubic feet per day by 2027.

The ministry also announced plans to drill over 100 exploratory wells in 2026 to secure additional energy resources.