Homes in seven areas across Egypt will be supplied with natural gas this month, the Petroleum Ministry announced on Sunday.
These areas are located in Giza, Cairo, Kafr el Sheikh, Gharbiya, Beni Suef and Tenth of Ramadan, the ministry said in a statement after a meeting chaired by Petroleum Minister Tarek el Molla.
The move comes as part of the ministry's strategy to replace butane gas cylinders with natural gas across the nation to improve services offered to citizens and ease financial burdens on the State.
In new contracts, citizens will pay LE30 a month over six years free of interest, along with the monthly bill of their natural gas consumption.
Since 1981 and to the end of August, 9.0 million units were supplied with natural gas.
The Egyptian government announced that it would raise the price of natural gas used for household and commercial purposes, starting August 1.
According to the new raise, the price of a cubic meter of gas, in the first consumption segment ranging from zero to 30 cubic meters a month, increased from 100 piasters to 175 piasters per cubic meter.
Under the second consumption segment – the consumption price ranging from 30 to 60 cubic meters a month increased from 175 to 250 piasters per cubic meters, while consumption of over 60 cubic meters a month increased from 225 to 300 piasters per cubic meter.
