TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian has said the peak demand for electricity in the country has reached 69,278 megawatts (MW) during the summer, indicating a five percent increase compared to the highest demand for electricity in the previous year which was 67,000 MW, IRNA reported.According to Mehrabian, the increase in temperature is the main reason for the rising electricity demand in the country.“The country’s average temperature has increased by one degree compared to last year, and in some regions such as Khuzestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, and even the northwest of the country, we have seen a temperature increase of four-five degrees,” the minister said.Mehrabian noted that the energy ministry has been following a comprehensive program for managing electricity supply and demand during the summer peak consumption period, saying: “The most important axes of this program were increasing the capacity of the country’s power plants, overhauling all the existing power plants and using their full capacities and promoting consumption management.”Stating that 40 percent of people have been following consumption management plans during the summer, Mehrabian said: “These 40 percent have received a bonus and been rewarded for saving electricity.”The official noted that for the next week, it is predicted that the temperature will rise once more in northern parts of the country and this will cause a further increase in electricity consumption.He called on people to continue following consumption management programs, saying: “If the people's cooperation and saving continue like in the early days of the summer, we will get through the remaining days of the season with minimal problems.”Over the past decade, constant temperature rising and the significant decrease in rainfalls across Iran have put the country in a hard situation regarding electricity supply during peak consumption periods.Iran's Power Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Company (known as Tavanir) has previously announced that the company is implementing a variety of programs for managing the situation and preventing blackouts in the country.EF/MA