Strict action could soon be taken against people who grossly exceed the electricity capacity of their homes, said a senior government official.

Energy Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza added that in many cases residents were to blame for power cuts because they installed far too many electrical gadgets and air conditioners.

"The result is people suffering from power cuts that are entirely avoidable," he said. "We are now contemplating action against those who overload without permission. This is being done in co-ordination with municipalities."

Municipal authorities will have the power to take action against offenders, which could include fines, the denial of building permits or legal action.

However, Dr Mirza said the number of power cuts had significantly reduced in the last few months.

He also said Bahrain now had 93 mobile generators available for installation in places where cuts regularly happened.

"This is three times more than what were available in the summer of last year," Dr Mirza added. – TradeArabia News Service