Marsaxlokk residents and business owners are growing increasingly frustrated as unplanned power cuts become a regular occurrence this summer.

The frequent outages, often happening multiple times a week, are disrupting daily life and impacting local businesses, especially restaurants during peak hours.

Nicholas Delia, a Marsaxlokk resident, recently shared a video on social media that mocks Malta as being “the envy of the world” due to the frequent power outages. His video underscores a serious problem.

In the footage, Delia can be seen pushing his nine-month-old son in a pram through the dark streets of Marsaxlokk at 9.30pm, trying to cool down after yet another power cut—the eighth in just 10 days.

Delia’s home relies on an electric hob for cooking, forcing him to seek a restaurant for dinner when the power goes out. But even this solution proves unreliable. “We went out to eat, and just as we started our meal, the electricity went out in the entire street,” Delia said in frustration.

“We live right near the power station, and yet we still don’t have power.”  

The situation is difficult for local restaurant owners along the busy Triq Xatt is-Sajjieda. They report that the unplanned power cuts occur up to three times a week and usually coincide with their peak business hours between 6.30 and 10.30pm.

“It has come to a point where I’m scared to accept large bookings on weekends because I can’t guarantee that we’ll have power to serve them,” one restaurant owner said.

We live right near the power station, and yet we still don’t have power

The power cuts not only disrupt service but also create a challenging working environment. With air conditioners and fans rendered useless, employees forced to work in the heat have threatened to quit.

Meanwhile, customers don’t want to dine in the stifling interior. “I only have limited outdoor seating so I’m losing business,” the restaurateur said.

Restaurant owners are particularly worried about damage to their equipment. “The sound my fridge makes now haunts me,” another owner said, adding that repairing or replacing a fridge could cost hundreds or even thousands of euros.

On some occasions, the lack of refrigeration has forced them to discard food, with one owner recalling a day when he had to throw away €150 worth of meat.

Sundown in Marsaxlokk – but will restaurant patrons have to dine in the dark? Photo: Shutterstock.com

The uncertainty surrounding the power supply takes its toll on health too. “This has impacted my mental health more than you can imagine,” one owner confessed. “I worked so hard to get this business off the ground, and now I’m left wondering what it was all for.”

When they contact Enemalta, they are often left without a clear answer about when power will be restored, leaving them feeling even more vulnerable.

Both restaurant owners believe that the Marsaxlokk substation is being overloaded, causing a fuse to trip.

A spokesperson for Enemalta confirmed their suspicion about the fuse, saying that Enemalta has a long-term plan to add more substations in the area to help relieve the pressure on the current infrastructure. In the short term, they are working to add feeders to alleviate the load, a solution expected to be implemented within four to five weeks.

This timeline means Marsaxlokk residents and business owners face the prospect of continued power cuts for the rest of the summer.