Finished, but not deliverable: new homes in Paphos wait for electricity

A commentary published in Cyprus Mail by lawyers who act for buyers of off-plan and under-construction homes says the problem is appearing across Paphos and possibly elsewhere: buildings are complete, buyers have paid, but the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has not connected them.

One example: an application was filed in 2024, buyers are due to move in at the end of November 2026, and by mid-October, according to the developer, the EAC had not started the connection work. Many new projects stand on land only recently divided into plots with no network, so the EAC must design one, obtain neighbours' consent and build it.

The authors cite developers' estimates of the standard timeline: four to six months for EAC views, eight to ten for the studies department, one to two for neighbour consents, about two more for the terms once a permit exists, eight to ten to build the network and a month for inspection — two to two and a half years in total.

An accelerated route exists for a fee, cutting studies to roughly a month and construction to two or three, but developers who pay are reportedly being told there are not enough staff or materials. In one case, a fee of more than €40,000 paid over two months ago had not led to the start of works, leaving buyers facing four to five more months without power.

The commentary argues that a sale contract binds only developer and buyer, and that the EAC's own charter — a quotation within 30 working days or €34.17 compensation — does not cover developments needing a new network. It notes the EAC might point to higher demand and equipment shortages, and that some developers also promise dates they cannot keep.