Energy Poverty in Mauritius: When Keeping the Lights On Becomes a Luxury

For many Mauritian families, electricity is no longer a given. As energy bills continue to climb, a growing number of low-income households are finding themselves unable to reliably afford power — a phenomenon experts refer to as 'energy poverty,' and one that is quietly reshaping daily life across the island. Energy poverty occurs when a household spends a disproportionate share of its income on energy, or is forced to go without it altogether. While Mauritius has long prided itself on near-universal electricity access, affordability is an entirely different measure — and one that official statistics have historically struggled to capture. The issue has been compounded by successive tariff adjustments by the Central Electricity Board (CEB), driven in part by Mauritius's heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels. As global oil and coal prices fluctuate, those costs are inevitably passed on to consumers, with the most financially vulnerable bearing the heaviest burden relative to their income. For households in regions such as Cité Résidentielle, Roche-Bois, or parts of the rural south, a monthly electricity bill can represent a significant portion of total household income. Families report cutting back on appliance usage, disconnecting refrigerators, or relying on informal and sometimes dangerous workarounds to manage costs. What makes this crisis particularly pressing is its intersection with other forms of inequality. Families living in energy poverty are often the same households facing food insecurity, precarious employment, and limited access to healthcare. The inability to power medical devices, preserve food safely, or maintain adequate lighting for children studying at night compounds existing disadvantage in ways that are difficult to quantify but deeply consequential. From an editorial standpoint, what is notably absent from public discourse is a coherent national strategy specifically targeting energy poverty as a social justice issue — distinct from broader energy transition conversations. While Mauritius has made commitments to renewable energy, the benefits of solar and clean technology have largely accrued to middle- and upper-income households who can afford panel installations or who own their homes. Policymakers may need to consider targeted subsidies, a social tariff mechanism, or community solar programmes that direct clean energy benefits toward those who need them most. The transition to a greener grid means little for a family whose electricity has already been cut off. As Mauritius positions itself as a model of sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region, ensuring that energy access remains a right — not a privilege — must be part of that conversation.