October 3, 2026
Private generator subscription bills in some Lebanese regions have jumped to about $170 a month for only 5 amps, equivalent to $2,040 annually, in a renewed crisis that burdens citizens who depend on this service as an alternative to official electricity.
This record rise coincides with the increase in fuel prices, which was directly reflected in the operating cost, recording an increase in the price of a kilowatt exceeding 6 cents in some areas compared to the previous month. Prices vary from one region to another and from one generator to another, whether in the fixed subscription or the price of a kilowatt, amid doubts about the extent of compliance with the official tariff.
In a related context, a number of citizens received their bills before the official pricing was issued by the Ministry of Energy and Water, as the price per kilowatt calculated by some generator owners ranged between 80 and 85 cents. Residents in areas in the southern suburbs of Beirut also circulated an unofficial and anonymous statement setting the tariff at 65 cents instead of 59 cents, which doubled the state of confusion.
In the face of the worsening chaos and the intensification of the crisis, several municipalities took action, especially in the Baabda district, calling on citizens to refrain from paying bills that violate the Ministry of Energy and Water’s pricing and to report them. The municipalities warned generator owners against the consequences of violating their obligations, urging the organization of arrest reports against violators and referring them to the Public Prosecution.
