The Cypriot Consumer Association considers any price increases in household electrical appliances, justified by the rise in shipping costs due to Houthi attacks on commercial ships, as unwarranted.

According to a statement by the Association, current prices were set when shipping costs were up to €13,000 per container. However, prices have barely decreased or not at all, even when shipping costs fell to €2,000.

Official data from the Statistical Service, as cited by the Association, shows that from January 2021 to January 2023, there was an 11.8% increase in major household appliances and general electricals, 8.2% in refrigerators and freezers, 9% in washing and drying machines, and 14.4% in cookers, all attributed to freight increases up to €13,000.

After these increases and until recently, when shipping costs dropped to €2,000 - €3,000, prices of these appliances only decreased by an average of 1%, the Cypriot Consumer Association points out. It considers any price hikes in household electrical appliances, justified by increased shipping costs, as unjustified.

The Association urges caution in public statements, emphasizing the goal should be to contain price increases. "Public statements suggesting that prices of household electrical appliances will skyrocket, without in-depth justification, do not help in containing prices. On the contrary, they drive them in the opposite direction," the statement concludes.