Generator suppliers across Malta have reported a surge in enquiries following five days of continued power outages.

“It’s crazy, we’ve received more requests in a week than we normally would in a year,” said an employee of RVC event lighting in Ħamrun, adding that calls from shops had made up most of the enquiries.

The increased demand was also reported by A Falzon Energy Projects in Santa Venera, with one employee telling Times of Malta they had seen a considerable surge in enquiries from grocery stores and other small businesses.

“There’s been a huge difference in the number of incoming calls... there’s a sense of urgency,” he said.

“The demand has been tremendous; we’ve even had people calling from Gozo," the employee said, adding they had also seen sales of water pumps rise after power surges caused damage to units across the country when electricity returned.  

Generators used for smaller settings such as outdoor events can cost upwards of €400, though many are rented on a one-time basis.

Those large enough to supply a home’s power needs, meanwhile, can cost thousands.

According to A&S Events managing director Alan Carabott, larger businesses were also fueling the higher demand, with his company fielding enquiries from supermarkets, restaurants, nightclubs and a small hotel that was struggling to meet its air-conditioning needs.

“Many people are calling for generators... there’s a big demand,” he said, adding that one of his units was being used by a team repairing a yacht moored at the Birgu marina.

One Lexcorp employee told Times of Malta they had noticed significantly more enquiries than usual, including from office blocks and hotels with higher power needs.

Some businesses had been “putting it off” for a while but had been prompted to act when the power cuts hit, they said.

Reports of the increased demand came as the country experienced its fifth consecutive day of power outages while heatwave Cerberus continued to rage, pushing temperatures above 40 degrees.

As the week closed, parts of Gudja, Rabat, Mdina, Dingli, Kalkara, Cospicua, Senglea, Vitttoriosa, Swieqi, Gozo and Sliema were among those that experienced prolonged power cuts, in many cases stretching through the night and into Saturday morning.