Lovin Malta spoke to Soler and Delia who recounted how this has been affecting their business and what they hope can be done.

“Every day at 12pm one of the phases goes. It’s happened every day for three consecutive summers. There is obviously something wrong with the substation itself, and obviously, there is a larger problem which they are not tackling,” Fenech Soler told Lovin Malta.

“Of course lunch can’t be operated like this. Between last week and this week, we’ve already lost five lunches,” he continued.

And it’s not only in the day – just last night, they experienced a power cut in the middle of dinner service.

“This is a problem which has plagued our area for two to three years, and the period of July and August is the time that it happens. Enemalta come to repair the fault but it takes up to three hours sometimes, and a shop cannot be operated without electricity,” Delia told Lovin Malta.

Delia also stressed that “having to close our doors for hours on end is the last thing we should be facing. We are talking about hundreds of missed sales opportunities now that Valletta is seeing a bit of tourism again”.

Frustration was also expressed at all the damage that equipment has suffered due to these daily power cuts.

Soler also added that it is only this particular substation that has problems, and in turn affects around eight shops, leaving them no option but to close.

Retailers and restaurants were already badly hit over the last two years due to the various lockdowns implemented in line with the pandemic. Dealing with regular power cuts at peak hours is another blow to companies trying to keep employees working and their business running.

Has your establishment been affected by regular power cuts? Contact hello@lovinmalta to speak in confidence.