Mehdi Masaeli, Secretary of the Iran Power Industry Syndicate, said: “Many families, due to a decline in purchasing power, cannot afford to replace outdated air conditioners, energy-intensive refrigerators, or other old equipment. Therefore, it is not possible to expect people to significantly reduce their consumption without first providing the necessary tools.”

He added: “The gap between revenues and costs in the power industry has reached 395 trillion toman, and the government owes 150 trillion toman to the Ministry of Energy.”

Masaeli continued: “The government cannot provide financing for power plants, and private-sector claims have gone beyond 130 hemt.”