The true cost of keeping Bahrain’s lights on was laid bare in Parliament yesterday, as Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Yasser Humaidan personally addressed MPs on spending, subsidies, tariffs, governance and renewables at the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA).
“In 2024, the total cost of electricity production, transmission and distribution reached BD550.8 million,” he said, describing the figure as the ‘real operational burden’ of maintaining a reliable nationwide grid.
A breakdown showed BD416.8m spent on generation, BD79m on transmission and BD55m on distribution.
Of the total bill, BD175.3m is funded by government subsidy, while BD375.5m is recovered through consumer tariffs.
The minister also disclosed mounting arrears. Outstanding electricity and water bills have reached BD84m. Of this, BD34.6m is owed by first-home Bahrainis, BD21.4m by second accounts, BD26.2m by commercial and industrial users and BD1.59m by non-Bahraini homes.
To recover dues, EWA issues six notices over 53 days before cutting supply. “This gives subscribers ample time to settle their dues before the final step is taken,” Mr Humaidan said.
Since the start of the current legislative term, 15,554 disconnections for non-payment have been recorded – 6,640 first homes, 5,276 second homes and 3,638 commercial and industrial accounts.
On infrastructure performance, he reported measurable progress in tackling water losses. Network leakage fell from 25.30pc in 2022 to 23.77pc in 2024, driven by leak detection technology, smart metering and network replacement.
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