Chairman of al-Wasta Misr Company for Electricity Distribution Raafat Shamaa said that the company would link electricity meters to an application on tablet devices, enabling collectors to correctly read the costs of consumption in Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, and New Valley governorates.
Shamaa clarified that the application would help collectors avoid mistakes in reading the meters in residential buildings after receiving several complaints from subscribers about overstated charges on electric bills.
Shamaa added that the company has assigned Fawry Dahab company to collect the consumption costs in the bills and charge the prepaid electric meters, enabling online payment service through visa cards.
Minister of Electricity Mohammed Shaker added that private companies would read and install the pre-paid meters and replace the old meters with new electronic meters.
Shaker announced in January that the lifting of electricity subsidies has been postponed from the 2018-2019 fiscal year to 2021-2022 due to changes in the US dollar exchange rate.
Shaker pointed to a deficit in the collection of electricity bills of LE 15 billion. The trend was initiated to install pre-paid electricity meters.
The Electricity Ministry increased electricity prices in July 2018. In 2017, Egypt hiked household electricity prices by up to 40 percent.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
