Boom in generator sales

IN ORDER TO cope with the regular electricity power cuts that the island is currently facing, a large increase in the sales of generators has been recorded.

Since the explosion which knocked out the island’s biggest power station, retailers selling generators have seen a massive increase in sales. The Cyprus Mail contacted a variety of retailers who said they had seen an increase in the sales of generators since yesterday.

A small generator is likely to cost around €3,600.

The manager of Metmarketing store in Nicosia said: “I have sold as many generators in one day as I have in one year” and that the demand is now overtaking what is available.

In response to the local authorities’ requests to reduce electricity consumption, especially through the use of air conditioning units, people are looking for alternative ways to keep cool through the soaring heat wave that Cyprus is experiencing.

According to staff at Megaelectric stores, an increase in the sales of fans has been noticed despite the fact that they depend on electricity to run. A conscious effort on the part of the public perhaps to aid in the enormous difficulty the island is facing.

In addition to the massive increase in sales of generators, there has also been a rise in the sales of UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) systems. These devices enable users to continue to use their laptops and computers and act as a back-up battery providing emergency power when electricity power fails.

The head of sales for Computerland in Nicosia said yesterday they had recorded a 30 per cent increase in sales of UPS systems since Monday.

According to one customer looking for a UPS system, the retail store he went to in Nicosia said they had ran out after selling a record 40 units in one day.

With the electricity authority warning of continuing power cuts for the rest of the summer, the long term consequences of Monday’s events remain unknown.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.