The National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Energy and Public Utilities has approved amendments to the rules of the retail electricity market. Now, the mere fact of opening court proceedings will no longer stop the procedure for disconnecting non-household consumers for debts.
This was reported by NKREKP, as written by UNN.
Details
The National Commission for Regulation in the Spheres of Energy and Public Utilities on August 5 adopted a draft of changes aimed at increasing payment discipline among businesses and preventing abuses.
From now on, the opening of court proceedings in a debtor's case will not be a reason to suspend disconnection. As explained by NKREKP, previously some consumers filed lawsuits only to buy time and avoid electricity cut-offs.
According to the proposed changes, the existence of a court ruling on the opening of proceedings in a case is not a reason for the electricity supplier to suspend the procedure for cutting off electricity supply to a non-household consumer's facility
However, these restrictions will not affect critical infrastructure facilities – hospitals, heat and water supply enterprises, water utilities, and defense facilities. For them, the current guarantees of uninterrupted light supply, enshrined in legislation and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 833, will remain in force.
Debtors still have the opportunity to avoid disconnection: the supplier must warn about it at least 10 working days in advance, and the consumer can apply to the court with a statement to secure the claim. However, now only a court ruling prohibiting the supplier's actions will be able to stop the process, not the mere opening of the case.
NKREKP believes that the new rules will strengthen the financial stability of the energy market and protect the interests of those participants who pay for consumed electricity on time.
Recall
In July, the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Energy and Public Utilities assured that electricity tariffs for the population remain unchanged despite changes in price caps in the electricity market.
However, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at its meeting on May 31 approved a decision to increase electricity tariffs for individual and collective household consumers to 4.32 UAH/kWh.