CAIRO, Sept 2, 2018 (MENA) - Homes in seven areas across Egypt will be supplied with natural gas this month, the Petroleum Ministry announced on Sunday. These areas are located in Giza, Cairo, Kafr el Sheikh, Gharbiya, Beni Suef and Tenth of Ramadan, the ministry said in a statement after a meeting chaired by Petroleum Minister Tarek el Molla. The move comes as part of the ministry's strategy to replace butane gas cylinders with natural gas throughout the nation to improve services offered to citizens and ease financial burdens on the State. In new contracts, citizens will pay LE30 a month over six years free of interest, along with the monthly bill of their natural gas consumption. Since 1981 and to the end of August, nine million units have been supplied with natural gas. The Egyptian government announced that it would raise the price of natural gas used for household and commercial purposes, starting August 1. According to the new raise, the price of a cubic metre of gas, in the first consumption segment ranging from zero to 30 cubic metres a month, increased from LE one to LE1.75 per cubic metre. Under the second consumption segment – the consumption price ranging from 30 to 60 cubic metres a month increased from LE1.75 to LE 2.5 per cubic metres, while consumption of over 60 cubic metres a month increased from LE2.25 to LE3 per cubic metre.
