Lebanon cracks down on 'generator mafia' charging soaring costs during summer heat

The National

4 hours ago

Lebanon is to crack down on owners of power generators accused of ripping off consumers during the summer heat.
A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday included a discussion about thousands of complaints the government has received about the issue, said Information Minister Paul Morcos. Many Lebanese use private generators because the electricity grid is too unreliable.
The government is now giving operators 45 days to comply with new regulations on the sector, including installing meters and charging by the amount of energy used. If operators fail to comply, they could face legal action and have their generators seized, Mr Morcos said.
Informally referred to as a "generator mafia", some private operators are known for charging steep flat fees regardless of use that far exceed what someone would expect to pay. It is notoriously difficult to get private generator operators to install meters to calculate energy use fairly if one is not already installed.
Lebanon has become dependent on expensive diesel-powered generators since a devastating economic crisis began in 2019 and dealt the fatal blow to its already crumbling electricity sector.
State electricity tends to work for four to six hours a day. It means that, if they can afford it, people rely on privately owned generators that use polluting fossil fuels. The smog that hangs over Beirut is seen easily when approaching the Lebanese capital.
The reliance on generators has become more acute during a particularly hot summer in Lebanon. This situation worsened in recent days when a technical failure caused state electricity output to briefly grind to a halt, although the problem has since been fixed.
Solar power use is slowly growing, but is subject to expensive start-up costs. The state has not built power plants in decades or invested in renewable energy despite several projects being planned, over a lack of agreement on profit sharing.