74 hours and counting: residents endure days without power amid ongoing outages

Residents across Malta have spoken about throwing out food and enduring several sweltering nights without electricity with some saying they had been without a stable supply since Monday afternoon. 

Msida resident Stacy Goodlip said her family had been without power for the past 74 hours.

She explained how the outage began at around 6pm on Sunday, with electricity returning at 7.30 pm on Monday. Power was cut again at 11am on Tuesday and briefly restored for three hours on Thursday morning before failing once more.

“All our food in the fridge and freezer is going straight into the rubbish, as we cannot even cook anything,” Goodlip told Times of Malta.

She took her 14-year-old son and the family’s goldendoodle to her parents’ home so they could sleep more comfortably.

Goodlip and her husband spent hours on Wednesday night searching for a hotel room along the Gżira seafront, but said they were turned away because the hotels were full.

“We ended up staying in our car for the air conditioning before going back home for another restless night,” she said.

By Thursday, the couple were exhausted and spent the evening at her parents’ home. She said she had reported the outage to Enemalta but was not told when the supply would be restored.

“While I understand Enemalta is busy, I believe the system is not working at all,” she said.

In the past week, some residents have been forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge with friends and relatives, while others booked accommodation amid the sweltering temperatures.

On Thursday, Mensija residents took to the streets to protest about the systemic blackouts affecting the area between St Julian's and San Gwann.

All the food Irene Buhagiar has thrown out after being left with no power since Monday. Photo: Irene Buhagiar

In St Paul’s Bay, Irene Buhagiar described her apartment as an “oven” after four days without electricity.

The 66-year-old said she had thrown away the contents of her fridge and freezer and had struggled through several sleepless nights.

“I have called Enemalta countless times, and they only told me they are working on it,” she said.

“My husband and I cannot sleep at night. We have two cats who are suffering in the heat, and there is nothing we can do. The situation is horrible. I never remember a time when the power cuts were this bad. Will anyone be compensating us for our losses?”

Charging devices at nearby shops

Her neighbour, Martin Grixti, said he had also been without power since Monday and was living “minute by minute”.

“We don’t know what to do because we don’t know how long this power cut will last,” he said.

“What happens if we book a hotel for the night and the electricity comes back on the next minute?”

Grixti and his wife have been charging their laptops and phones at nearby shops and eating out because they cannot use the appliances at home.

A Buġibba resident living in Triq iċ-Ċern said he had been without electricity for more than 60 hours.

“I tried to report the situation through Enemalta’s online service and helpline. I called 153 and even attempted to contact the Office of the Prime Minister,” he said.

The Buġibba resident is seeking a place with an air conditioner for his family and their elderly dog.

He said he had thrown away more than €100 worth of food and was trying to find an air-conditioned place for his family and dog.

Sixth power cut in one week

Another St Paul’s Bay resident, who asked not to be named, said Thursday night brought the sixth power cut in a week.

“The power went out once again on Thursday night and, so far, it is still out,” she said.

She said she was particularly concerned about her elderly, diabetic dog, which had been struggling in the heat.

Throughout the week, she stored the dog’s insulin at the homes of friends and relatives. On Friday, she persuaded a nearby Convenience Shop to keep it refrigerated.

"I want to understand why this keeps happening, not for Enemalta to give me the same line over again," she said.

'It’s a killer’

A St Julian’s resident said he had been without electricity for more than 24 hours after the supply failed on Thursday morning.

He said Enemalta could not tell him when power would return to Spinola Road.

“We experienced several power cuts this week, but this one has been the worst so far,” he said, explaining how he has been without power since 11 am on Thursday.

The resident said his workplace in Valletta had also been affected by a blackout earlier in the week. Some parts of the capital were left without electricity after the power cut lasted around 30 hours. 

For 80-year-old Marie-Louise Cilia, power was restored to her St Julian’s apartment after a 60-hour outage.

“Having no electricity for three nights in a row has been a killer,” she told Times of Malta.

Cilia is recovering from back surgery and has been advised not to lie down for long periods. However, she said lying down was the only way she could find some relief from the heat.

“When I walk around the flat, I am constantly perspiring,” she said.

“I had to throw away the food we had. I’m getting by drinking a lot of water, while my family brings me takeaway food because I cannot cook. All my appliances are electric.”

After attending a hospital appointment on Thursday, she remained there longer than necessary so she could charge her mobile phone and escape the heat.

A relative later brought her a portable charger so she could remain in contact with her family.

Electricity demand remains high

Replying to questions on Friday, Enemalta said electricity demand remained exceptionally high but stable at around 724MW, slightly below Tuesday’s record of 741MW.

The company said the sustained demand was continuing to place considerable pressure on parts of the distribution network.

"On Thursday night, Enemalta dealt with an interruption affecting parts of southern Malta after a fault developed on a cable linking two distribution centres,"a spokesperson told Times of Malta. 

"Our technical teams responded immediately, and supply was restored within about an hour."

Enemalta said teams were also addressing several individual faults in different parts of Malta on Friday morning.

The company acknowledged the strain outages placed on residents and businesses, particularly after several days of exceptionally high temperatures.

It said crews were working to restore supplies as quickly and safely as possible, while additional teams remained available to respond to further reports.