In Uzbekistan, inspections conducted in the first three months of 2026 have revealed illegal use of energy resources amounting to approximately 196 billion Uzbek soums. This significant financial loss highlights ongoing challenges in the country's energy security and economic stability, raising concerns about systemic inefficiencies and the need for stricter oversight.

The investigations recorded 885 cases of direct theft. The damage was nearly evenly split between electricity and natural gas: illegal consumption of 49.7 million kWh of electricity was valued at 94.4 billion soums, while losses of 34.6 million cubic meters of gas exceeded 101.6 billion soums. These figures underscore vulnerabilities in the energy grid's control mechanisms and point to persistent issues that the government's measures have yet to fully address.

Additionally, 1,599 administrative protocols were issued for violations of energy network usage rules. Concurrently, controls over the petroleum products market were tightened, preventing the sale of over 4,000 tons of substandard fuel. Violations were detected in 180 instances at gas stations and industrial facilities, suggesting deeper problems of corruption and regulatory lapses within the sector.

Measures to reduce the load on the energy system are also being implemented. Reactive energy compensation devices have been installed for 2,293 major consumers, resulting in savings of 19.4 million kWh of electricity. Authorities claim that enhanced monitoring and technological steps aim to curb losses and improve resource efficiency, but the long-term effectiveness of these initiatives remains uncertain amid ongoing energy security risks.

Source: kun.uz