A series of power cuts across the country in the past days left many baking in the heat, and this has resulted in an increase in demand for generators, a number of shops told WhosWho.mt.
A heatwave saw temperatures rise to record highs this month, but Malta’s electricity grid struggled. Residents posted angry comments on social media mentioning sleepless nights, concern for elderly and vulnerable residents, among other things.
Prime Minister Robert Abela issued an apology to those who suffered outages, and said that the issues are not due to energy generation, but are caused by issues experienced in the distribution network.
Contacted by this newsroom, a number of shops that sell generators saw a spike in sales.
A spokesperson for building materials and electrical supplies distributor Brian Pullicino (FBP) said it has noticed a very high demand for generators in recent days.
“Some buy them and some simply inquire about them, but there has been an increase in sales,” they said.
A representative for C&C Technik described the increase as “a very big spike.” He said they also rent generators, and that they have all been rented out at times.
The Hire Shop owner Martin Scerri confirmed that more people tend to rent out generators during prolonged power cuts.
“It’s very normal these days and we rent them out for as long as they need them, even if it’s just two days,” he said.
Mr Scerri said that once an electrician has installed the generator, the process is very straightforward.
“Most people simply connect an extension lead to the generator and then plug their appliances into the extension,” he said.
A spokesperson for hardware and tool distributor AAK Grech Bros added that while they haven’t noticed an obvious spike in sales yet, there has definitely been an increase in inquiries.
"When people enquire about generators, we ask what their household electricity consumption is and guide them towards the generator that best suits their needs.”
A representative of the Handyman Centre told this newsroom that “everyone is calling to buy or rent.” Since the power cuts began, the demand has become higher than normal, he said.
Additional reporting by Tim Diacono