One in eight won’t pay the electricity bill

Greek consumers that leave their bill aside are way above the European average of 2% to 2,5%

Greeks burning less electricity is not the only result of the depression. Now, they don’t even pay for the amount they use!

It seems unbelievable but the fact that 1 in 8-10 citizens DON’T pay the electricity bill to PPC or the private providers, is Greek and it's real.

This information has been provided by an official of the company, who was asked about a letter addressed to the president of PPC Arthuros Zervos, sent by the Piraeus Traders Association in protest because PPC has began tearing off electricity counters from companies that don’t pay their bill!

«We are expressing our great concern over the amount of daily issues to cut power in the wider Piraeus area. In no case do we overlook the obligation of our colleagues to pay bills. But we see it as an informal commitment on the part of DEKO administrations to provide help to certain groups, such as small businesses, which in the current situation cannot respond to their financial obligations».

PPC answered that standard procedure is followed and that the major problem lies elsewhere: if those who delay payment are added to those who don’t pay at all, we reach 20% of PPC customers, a level much higher than the European average and an almost otherworldly number that can create a liquidity problem for PPC.  

Besides home consumers and businesses that shut down leaving unpaid bills, there’s an important number of big companies that don’t pay or pay part of the bill. PPC has lost about 13% of it’s “good” clients, the commercial ones, part of which is expected to be regained next year, since invoices for them will decrease.

However, the decreases in invoices are in danger of being cannibalized by other charges! In the multi-bill with the extra measures for the economy  voted today, there is the provision for over-doubling the rates from 2,5 to 5,5/mwh for all customers excluding homes and farmers.

And only yesterday the Regulatory Authority for Energy made it known that it will increase by approx. 20,000 euros per year the charge cap for the fees received by the RES (Renewable Energy Sources) and the fee received as CUF (Common Utility Functions) through the electricity bills…