News

30 January 2025

The Ombudsman Institution sent a letter to the Chairman of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission Ivan Ivanov to inquire about the outcome, if any, of the unplanned inspection of the three electricity distribution companies and the Electricity System Operator (ESO).

On 28 December 2024, the EWRC website released information about the start of the inspection where the EWRC announced that it would inspect the companies’ performance on their licensing obligations, including, first of all, the implementation of the investment programs for the development, maintenance and repairs of the power grid.

It was indicated that the companies should submit to the EWRC a full analysis of the actual reasons for the electricity power cuts and that the EWRC should assess, in keeping with the Energy Act provisions, whether there exist reasons to take administrative action against the inspected companies.

“As of now, a month later, the outcome of the inspection has not been disclosed yet. The implementation of the electricity distribution companies’ investment programs is of essential importance for the full implementation of their licensing obligations and, above all, the obligation to supply electricity that meets the approved quality standards,” reads the letter to the EWRC of the Secretary General of the Ombudsman Institution Dr. Aysun Avdjiev.

Further, he emphasizes that in 2024, the national human rights institution received 1,237 complaints about the service to supply electricity and 1,046 of the afore-said number of complaints involve problems that pertain exactly to the quality of the power supply in different regions of the country: frequent and long power cuts, low supply voltage, current rush, etc.

“The Ombudsman’s experts conclude that the deteriorated quality of the service is the most serious problem in the sector,” Dr. Avdjiev writes in a firm tone.

He asks to be informed about the progress of the unplanned inspection requested by the regulating authority itself; about the number of the onsite inspected facilities and which they were; about violations found, if any, in the performance of the companies’ licensing obligations to provide a quality service, and if found, what action the EWRC is to take, in line with the legal powers granted to it to ensure a reliable, continual and quality energy service to consumers.

The Ombudsman Institution asks to be informed about the specific time limits by which the final findings will be communicated.

The reason of the letter to the EWRC is that every day the Ombudsman Institution receives dozens of requests from citizens from all over the country. Such people have already filed complaints with the companies regarding power cuts for days on end, even during the Christmas season. The companies, however, reply that no compensation will be paid to them as the power outage was caused by the bad weather, heavy snowfall and the old power transmission grid. However, investment in the grid is a commitment of the companies; therefore, the EWRC had to verify, not just on the basis of documents, whether and to what extent these plans have been executed.