Over 2 million citizens now enjoy 24-hour electricity through Runaki

Erbil, Kurdistan Region (GOV.KRD) – The Ministry of Electricity is pleased to announce today that more than 2 million citizens, or around 30% of the Kurdistan Region population, now have 24-hour electricity under the Runaki program.

With today’s switch, most citizens across all three major cities of Erbil, Slemani and Duhok now have access to 24-hour electricity, with coverage extended to Erbil’s 150-meter ring Road and Slemani’s 60-meter ring Road.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in delivering clean, reliable and affordable electricity throughout the Kurdistan Region.

Table 1: Breakdown of the latest number of citizens and subscribers under Runaki

 

City	Citizens	Subscribers
Erbil	1,375,000	354,000
Slemani	504,000	140,000
Duhok	176,000	50,000
Total	2,055,000	544,000

 

Additionally, over 2,100 diesel neighbourhood generators have been phased out so far. And by the end of 2026, the KRG plans to phase out over 7,000 generators.

Table 2: The latest number of diesel neighbourhood generators phased out under Runaki

 

City	Diesel neighbourhood generators	Car equivalent (in terms of CO2 emissions)
Erbil	1,652	285,796
Slemani	292	50,516
Duhok	163	28,199
Total	2,107	364,511

 

The KRG announced last month that subscribers in the Runaki initiative have already seen record-low bills. This is due to the KRG’s new progress tariff designed to protect low-income households and encourage responsible consumption. Under the new tariffs, 80% of citizens pay less than the previous cost of diesel generators and national power combined.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced the Runaki program in October 2024 to deliver 24-hour electricity to every home and business by the end of 2026. The KRG Council of Ministers unanimously approved the national program on 14 May.

All major city centers, including Halabja, will enjoy 24-hour access by the end of 2025.