Electric poles near an Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) station in Jamhour, in Baabda, on August 22, 2024. (Credit: P.H.B./L'Orient-Le Jour)
The public electricity provider Électricité du Liban (EDL) announced Wednesday "the recovery of $10 million in payment arrears over a period of ten months," as part of the implementation of its "national emergency plan for the electricity sector" and "the reform plan" developed with the Ministry of Energy and Water.
The recovery of these unpaid bills comes in addition to the recovery of fines dating from the period of April 2025 to January 2026.
"EDL has recovered arrears over a ten-month period, amounting to a total of 907,265,558,027 LL, or approximately $10,137,045," the institution’s statement said. "Since April 2025 to date, 3,283 official reports have been filed against offenders [who have committed violations of the electricity network] in various Lebanese regions" for a total amount equivalent to nearly $4 million, EDL added. It noted that several of these reports have been "referred to the judiciary."
The institution explained that recovering arrears and fighting violations are an "essential pillar of the sector’s reform process" and ensure equity among citizens, as paying bills and the absence of violations on the network "directly contribute to improving electricity supply and the stability of the service."
The electricity sector in Lebanon is in a particularly advanced state of deterioration due to insufficient investment in infrastructure, limited production capacity, a network damaged by war and crippled by illegal connections.
Lebanese Energy Minister Joe Saddi revealed last January that "30 percent of electricity is stolen, costing $200 million." He then announced coordination with the judiciary and indicated that the main offenders are now being prosecuted, adding that 80 percent of state institutions’ electricity bills will be paid to EDL.
According to EDL, campaigns against illegal connections are continuing.
