The government has begun procedures to legalize over 1.1 million coded meters, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat said during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting on Wednesday.
In April 2026, the ministry began applying a new billing system for coded meters, charging a flat rate of 2.74 Egyptian pounds (about $0.06) per kilowatt-hour instead of the progressive bracket system, an increase of up to 28%, affecting around 3.6 million coded meters.
The decision faced broad opposition from those affected, while also prompting parliamentary calls to temporarily suspend it and review its legal, social, and economic implications.
The government says the new system is a temporary measure to ensure accurate billing until reconciliation is completed for buildings constructed in violation of regulatory laws. Residents of those units, however, say they did not commit a direct violation that would justify making them bear the extra cost.
According to the Unified Platform for Electricity Services, coded meters are allocated to citizens who obtain electricity illegally, with the aim of ensuring accurate billing for actual consumption.
The meters are considered temporary until the status of buildings constructed in violation of regulations is resolved under the Construction Violations Reconciliation Law, or until demolition orders issued against them are carried out.
The first version of the Construction Violations and Reconciliation Law was issued in 2019, nearly four years after drafting began on legislation affecting the interests of broad sectors of citizens who own real estate assets.
The law was amended in 2020, but amid implementation obstacles and confusion among local authorities in applying its provisions, lawmakers have called over recent years for further amendments to remove the administrative complications blocking reconciliation.
