Under current rules, non-domestic consumers have the right to have their electricity supply restored, for which they do not pay by going to court to appeal the outage.
“In practice, this provision has become a tool for abuse: debtors can use electricity for a long time without payment, under the guise of a lawsuit. This situation creates additional pressure on suppliers and negatively affects the financial condition of energy enterprises,” the VEA statement says.
Its authors stated that the NEURC initiative is “a timely and necessary step.”
“It provides that for non-domestic consumers the very fact of going to court will not be an automatic basis for renewing electricity supply in case of non-payment. At the same time, bona fide consumers remain protected, since they can appeal bills and acts within the limits of contracts, have the right to secure a claim in court and can demand compensation in the event of unlawful actions of the supplier,” the statement notes.
The problems of water utilities and other strategic facilities should not be solved by distorting market rules, VEA believes.
“For this, there are other tools – state subventions, special obligations (SSO), revision of tariffs or support from local authorities. For enterprises that find themselves in difficult situations, the legislation also provides for the possibility of restructuring and gradual repayment of debt,” the association emphasized.
“BEA is confident that the proposed changes do not limit consumer rights, but only eliminate loopholes that are used for free consumption of electricity. This decision will strengthen financial discipline, enhance the stability of the energy sector and allow us to more effectively maintain critical infrastructure in wartime conditions,” the appeal says.
