Over 21,000 Mauritian Homes Lost Power in 2025 after Missing Bill Payments

More than 21,000 Mauritian households had their electricity supply disconnected last year due to unpaid bills, leaving thousands of families still living without power into this year.

A total of 21,211 domestic meters were cut off by the Central Electricity Board (CEB) over the course of 2025, Energy Minister Patrick Assirvaden revealed in Parliament on Tuesday 12 May.

While approximately 15,000 of those meters have since been reconnected, the figures indicate that several thousand households remain without electricity.

Strict Thresholds and Warnings

The CEB stated that disconnections are not triggered by minor arrears. According to Thierry Ramasawmy, the CEB’s Communication Manager, the average debt threshold that prompts a disconnection exceeds Rs 6,500.

“This situation can also affect those who have accumulated a large number of bills,” Mr Ramasawmy noted.

Before terminating supply, the utility provider insists it issues multiple warnings. These notifications are sent via:

• Letters and telephone calls
• Mobile platforms including MyT Money and Emtel
• The Mokouran digital platform
• Notices in the print and broadcast press

The Cost of Reconnection

For those seeking to restore their power, the financial hurdle increases. Households must pay a Rs 450 reconnection fee in addition to settling their outstanding balance—a sum that adds further strain to families already unable to clear their initial debt.

The CEB does not hold consolidated data on whether specific households are trapped in a cycle of repeated disconnections and reconnections within the same year.

“Although it is difficult to answer, we have not observed accounts that are regularly cut off within the same year,” Mr Ramasawmy said, though he added that the possibility could not be ruled out.

Unresolved Realities

The exact number of families currently living without power remains unclear. The CEB qualified the remaining figures by noting that several accounts were reconnected in 2026 following payment, while other households were reconnected under different names.

Furthermore, official statistics fail to capture the full scope of the issue on the ground. The CEB admitted it lacks data on the common practice of multiple families sharing a single meter in overcrowded housing.

While Mr Ramasawmy reiterated the official principle that “every family/household is entitled to a meter,” the gap between entitlement and reality remains unmeasured.

Hardship Support

In response to subscribers facing financial distress, the CEB stated that it offers individualized assistance plans tailored to each household’s financial situation.

“The different cases are analysed by our agents and are generally accepted for the most needy,” Mr Ramasawmy assured.

However, the CEB did not confirm the exact number of the 21,211 disconnected households that successfully received these aid facilities.

Source: Defi Media