Ministry of Energy Explains Lack of SMS Alerts for Power Cuts in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan has for the first time commented on the absence of an SMS notification system for planned and unplanned electricity outages.

The ministry stated that introducing such a system would lead to additional costs, which could ultimately affect the cost of electricity and natural gas tariffs.

“Each SMS message costs money. If we introduce such a notification system, it will become an additional expense that will be reflected in the cost of electricity and natural gas,” said ministry representative Nasibullo Mukhammadjonov.

At the same time, the company Regional Electric Networks (RSE) noted that it already uses SMS notifications for various service messages, including more than 20 types of messages sent through its billing system.

According to RSE, the system processes data from more than 8 million consumers daily, recording meter readings and sending notifications about balances, as well as electricity connection and disconnection operations.

RSE representatives also said that some messages do not reach users due to changed phone numbers, while some subscribers voluntarily opt out of receiving notifications.

It was additionally reported that a significant amount of information is available through mobile applications and personal accounts introduced as part of ongoing digitalization of services.