Malta faced a wave of power cuts this week, forcing several restaurants and businesses to either shut their doors or find ways to cope with the sweltering heat.
With temperatures soaring past 40°C on some days, the outages couldn’t have come at a worse time. Some had no choice but to close temporarily, while others scrambled to adapt under increasingly difficult conditions.
One of the power outages occurred in San Ġwann, affecting multiple restaurants, grocers and other local businesses, many of which were hit by two separate disruptions.
Christian Mansueto, owner of Shakes n Bakes, says the recent power disruptions have cost him hundreds of euros in spoiled supplies.
“Burgers, ice cream, meats, donuts, cheeses, milk…” he listed, clearly frustrated. “In this heat, those products can’t be saved, they have to be thrown out.”
He explained that the situation was especially difficult as they’re already in the process of relocating outlets. “It’s already tough. We’re juggling a move, and now we’re losing stock and time too.”
Mr Mansueto adds that at their Msida outlet, there were multiple planned outages that were meant to last five hours, but ended up stretching to ten, for two days in a row.
“That meant I paid employees for full shifts and continued covering rent on expensive property, assuming power would be restored within the communicated timeframe, only to be left waiting for hours.”
When asked about communication from Enemalta, Mr Mansueto notes it has often been lacking.
“Every time you call, there’s usually no answer or you’re kept waiting forever. The last time someone actually picked up, they told us the power would be back within an hour. It came back six hours later.”
“We’re not compensated in any way,” he adds. “It’s incredibly stressful. We’re just trying to run a small business, and instead we’re watching hundreds of euros go down the drain.”
In the beginning of 2025, the Government had introduced a one-time payment for businesses affected by the prolonged power outages that occurred between 20th June and 9th September 2024. So far, it is unclear whether a similar initiative will be done to cover this year's power cuts.
A pastizzi shop owner describes how repeated power outages in recent months have taken a serious toll on his business, with some lasting up to eight hours a day, costing him approximately €700 every day.
One particularly frustrating incident stood out. “The power was out for hours one day. The next day, it came back, so we restocked and got ready to open, only to be hit by another outage. We had to throw everything out again.”
“The food in the display counter has to be thrown out immediately,” he continues. “That’s around €250 worth of product each time. You can’t just reheat it. And anything stored in the fridge has to go too,” he explains.
The business owner also expressed frustration with the lack of communication from Enemalta, saying that attempts to reach out are often met with a standard response: “Send an email and file an official complaint.”
“We’ve never been compensated for any of these losses,” he said. “There should be, at the very least, some form of tax rebate for situations like this, if not a direct refund.”
Emma’s Kitchen, a small brunch and coffee spot in San Ġwann, took to Facebook to express frustration over the ongoing power cuts.
“We’ve once again closed due to a power cut,” the post read – noting that it was the second time the café had been forced to shut its doors in just 24 hours.
The owner also tagged the official Malta Government and Prime Minister Robert Abela’s social media pages, asking: “Will there be any compensation for the small businesses you’re destroying?”
Another business owner shares her concern about the ongoing power outages, explaining that she was forced to move part of her operation outdoors.
“In this weather, it’s crazy to be without air conditioning or fans,” she says.
“At least it was breezy outside,” she adds with a hint of relief.
