Syrian citizens expressed mixed positions regarding the electricity bills under the new pricing, after the Damascus Electricity Directorate issued the sixth and final billing cycle for the year 2025 last week.
These bills cover consumption for the months of November and December last year, at a time when citizens described the amounts due as “exorbitant” compared to their limited incomes.
The Ministry of Energy had announced on October 30 last year – as part of a plan to reform the electricity sector and achieve sustainability – the adoption of a new tariff distributed across different consumption brackets, with implementation starting at the beginning of November last year.
Details of the New Pricing
An informed source in the Ministry of Energy revealed that the residential pricing relies on two main brackets:
- Up to 300 kWh: 600 Syrian pounds per kWh (approximately $0.05).
- More than 300 kWh: 1400 pounds per kWh (approximately $0.12).
The source – who preferred not to be named – indicated that the first bracket is subsidized by about 60%, as the actual production cost is approximately 1500 pounds per kWh, while the second bracket is close to the real cost of traditional generation.
He confirmed that all consumption since the beginning of the current month is calculated according to the new tariff, adding that the average electricity supply is close to 8 hours per day, with a relative improvement due to increased production and reduced violations on the network.
High Bills and Angry Reactions
The issuance of the new bills sparked angry reactions, as citizens said the amounts jumped by between 50 and 100 times depending on consumption.
A Syrian citizen said that her priority is “food and medicine before electricity,” confirming that her income does not allow her to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds monthly, amid rising food and medicine prices and the absence of market oversight.
An employee pointed out that his bill reached 800,000 pounds (approximately $69), which is almost equivalent to a full month’s salary, explaining that his consumption is limited and does not include air conditioning or electric heating devices, yet he finds it difficult to pay.
He added that he will not pay before installing a meter that ensures accurate and transparent billing.
A Reform Step
On the other hand, a Syrian citizen viewed the new pricing as a “necessary step” to reform the sector and prevent financial collapse, considering that the previous unsustainable subsidy led to resource waste and a large deficit.
He said that rationalizing consumption has become a necessity, and that transparency in billing and smart meters may contribute to fair distribution and gradual service improvement, especially with the efforts being made to increase gas supplies and rehabilitate fields.
Official Explanation of the Decision
In his latest statement last Thursday, the Syrian Minister of Energy considered that the energy problem lies in citizens’ reliance on electricity for cooking, cooling, heating, and lighting, without relying on diesel for heating, because electricity was almost free.
He said: “Even if the generation capacity is increased and all existing stations are operated to generate 4500 megawatts, rationing may improve by only two or three hours, because citizens will maintain their habits of relying on almost free electricity.”
He pointed out that this pattern of consumption is not limited to citizens only, but also includes employees, as they leave air conditioning units running when they leave their offices, explaining that the losses from electricity subsidies reached two billion dollars during the past period.
While official bodies confirm
