Electricity Authority

The small Mediterranean Island of Cyprus has been enjoying the benefits of electricity for over 90 years. The new source of energy was first introduced in 1903 with the installation, by the then British colonial government, of a power generator to serve the needs of the Commission in the capital, Nicosia. This was followed shortly afterwards by the installation of a second generator at the Nicosia General Hospital. A limited number of Cypriots soon started to use electricity when, in 1912, the first electricity company, which operated a power station with generators, was formed in Limassol under the initiative of the Stamatiou brothers, George Yiannopoulos and other enterprising Limassolians. The company was called Electrofotistiki Eteria Lemessou (The Limassol Electric Light Company). George Pierides, a powerful figure in the economic life of the capital, formed the Nicosia Electricity Company the following year, in 1913. Naturally, within the course of a few years, all other towns followed suit. In 1922 the Municipal Electricity Enterprises were formed in the towns of Famagusta, Larnaca and Paphos, while in Kyrenia the town's municipality set up its electricity company in 1927. Gradually, a number of rural centers such as Morphou, Platres, Pedoulas, Lefkara, Xeros, Lefka and Lefkonico formed their own electric companies. However, electricity was virtually non-existent in the small villages and countryside until 1952, the year of the establishment of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. By 1952 there were 28 companies serving 6 major towns and 22 smaller townships and villages. Sixteen of these were municipal or communal companies, some of which only supplied consumers with electricity during the evening. Also, existing legislation prohibited the individual companies from supplying electricity outside their specific municipality or village area. Those early companies faced serious economic problems due to the conservative Cyprus society, who were not in a position to appreciate the revolutionary changes that electricity was about to bring to the island. The people did not trust the new form of power, as interruptions at the time were long and frequent. And, of course, they did not rely on it - there were few electrical appliances and machines, a far cry from the host of modern appliances and machines found in today's factories and homes. Electricity was used only for lighting, as the name, 'Limassol Electric Light Company' indicates. Just how reluctant Cypriots were to use electricity is shown by the fact that the Limassol Electric Light Company launched a promotional campaign in which it provided free electricity for a trial period, so that people could see for themselves the benefits of this new form of power.