DEI: what will they do with persistent defaulters?

The Department of Environment and Energy is set to “lock out” habitual defaulters who have accumulated outstanding energy bills by placing time limits on receiving universal service.

According to the relevant decree, the maximum period of stay in universal service status will be limited to four months, A the supply of electricity will be interrupted if the consumer does not begin to repay the overdue debt.

It is noted that households and small businesses (with a supply capacity of up to 25 kVA) with whom the supply contract will be terminated (usually due to debts) are excluded from the “universal electricity supply services”.

More than 70% of the estimated 200,000 consumers are reportedly taking advantage of free electricity, leaving months of unpaid bills. In addition, the meter data of many of them is not installed (electricity leakage is recorded during unauthorized connection). Therefore, it is difficult to “catch” them and punish them.

Now a universal service provider (DEI and other companies) will inform the client one month before the end of the quarterly period that he is going to apply for termination of the supply contract due to the presence of an overdue debt and will invite him to pay or extinguish his debt and continue receiving the service uninterrupted power supply.

After four months, for customers who do not meet the criteria for maintaining universal service status, the provider submits DEDDIE application for termination of the contract (termination of electricity supply).

For those consumers currently under universal service, the calculation of the four-month maximum period will begin from the date the new regulation comes into force.

The political leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed a general plan to combat strategic defaulters against the backdrop of a total outstanding debt, which until August last year amounted to 2.8 billion euros.

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