Demand for electricity and natural gas increased due to a sharp drop in temperatures in the country, the Ministry of Energy said in the statement.

Reportedly, electricity consumption in Uzbekistan has reached a historic peak - 250 million kilowatt-hours, while, the daily demand for natural gas is higher than production.

On December 31, 2022, daily electricity consumption was 220 million kilowatt-hours, and these days this figure has increased even more.

Increased demand for natural gas and electricity have caused equipment failures. As of January 13, electricity consumption in Tashkent alone exceeded 32 million kilowatt-hours, and for various reasons (emergencies and restrictions), 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity were not delivered to consumers. In order to send natural gas to households, the volumes of natural gas flaring at thermal power plants have been reduced, and reserve fuel oil is burned three times more than planned.

At present, in the wake of gas shortage, consumers widely switched to electrical heating appliances. As a result, more than 1,000 failures occurred in Tashkent alone during the day due to increased load.

As reported earlier, today Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a government meeting devoted to ensuring uninterrupted supply of energy resources to hosueholds in the winter season.

During the meeting, it became known that Deputy Minister of Energy Sherzod Khodjaev was sacked of his post

Meanwhile, the chairmen of Khududiy Elektr Tarmoklari Ulugbek Mustafoev, of Uztransgaz Bekhzot Normatov and of Uzbekneftgaz Mekhriddin Abdullayev were downgraded to acting chairmen roles with probationary period of three months.

While Tashkent city mayor Jakhongir Ortiqkhojaev and the chief of Issiklik Electricity Stations, Farhad Abdurakhmanov were fired.