Residents of Odesa's Via Roma residential complex have become hostages of DTEK and the developer, who cannot reach an agreement. People are forced to use electricity at the industrial tariff, as the developer built the complex in an industrial zone and failed to fulfill its obligations to connect the residential complex to the power grid. DTEK commented on the situation to UNN and named ways out of the crisis.
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DTEK reminded that earlier the industrial facilities of the research and production enterprise Vega were located on the site of the Via Roma residential complex.
"DTEK Odesa Power Grids has a contract for electricity distribution with Vega as a legal entity. In accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine, all legal customers pay for electricity at the industrial tariff," DTEK informs.
For example, in 2021, the developer (Family House Construction Company LLC) built a new residential complex, Via Roma, on the site of the former Vega enterprise. However, he did not connect it to the power grid on a permanent basis, as required by law, but powered it from the power grids of Vega.
"Since the developer has not fulfilled its obligations to connect the residential building to the power grid, people receive electricity and pay its cost to its management company Coin at the industrial tariff, as a legal entity Vega," DTEK explained.
The company also explained why the issue of relocating high-voltage lines has only arisen today. The fact is that the Via Roma residential complex was built in flagrant violation of the law, which prohibits the construction of residential buildings within the security zones of energy facilities. Thus, in violation of the Electricity Network Protection Rules, the developer Familnyi Dim built a house closer than 20 meters to an overhead line, although it knew about the requirement to relocate the high-voltage line back in 2021. As of today, Family House has not taken any steps to move the line underground, DTEK says, reminding that violation of the security zone of power lines poses a direct threat to the lives and health of residents of the residential complex, and makes it virtually impossible to repair such lines, as the necessary equipment simply cannot reach the pole.
"The issue of relocating the line has become acute right now, as the developer has moved in without meeting the technical conditions for connecting to the power grid on a permanent basis. As a result, the residents are not only threatened with their lives and health, but also cannot conclude contracts with DTEK Odesa Power Grids and the supplier, the regional energy company, and pay for electricity at the residential tariff," DTEK said.
The company added that they have been looking for ways to solve the problem for almost a year. However, they emphasize that connection to the power grid should only take place within the law. The Odesa Regional State Administration also responded to the incident.
"The regional administration is concerned about the situation with electricity tariffs for residents of the residential complex. The regional authorities are not parties to the process, and the issue of setting electricity tariffs is not within their competence, but the administration is interested in protecting the rights of Odesa residents and obtaining a fair tariff," said Oleksandr Kharlov, deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration.
According to him, the parties to the conflict have a roadmap to overcome the crisis, and the OBA expects to implement it as soon as possible.