The Bulgarian Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (KEVR) has given three electricity distribution companies—Electrodistribution Grid West, Electrodistribution North, and Elektrorazpredelenie Yug—a seven-day deadline to determine the compensation owed to residential consumers who experienced power outages lasting more than 24 hours between December 21 and 31, 2024.
Compensation will be provided to all affected households, except for those with zero electricity consumption over the past 13 months and customers whose supply was interrupted due to unpaid bills or electricity misuse.
Following this, the distribution companies will have an additional week to transfer the penalty amounts to supply companies, which will then deduct the corresponding sums from customers’ total invoice amounts.
These penalties were imposed after extraordinary inspections assessed the companies’ compliance with electricity distribution license requirements. The investigations were prompted by widespread media reports of prolonged outages affecting thousands of households.
Findings revealed that the outages were primarily caused by aging energy infrastructure and inadequate preparation for winter conditions. Although the companies deployed sufficient technical resources and emergency teams, they underestimated the severity of the crisis in its initial phase.
To mitigate future disruptions due to extreme weather, KEVR has mandated that the electricity distribution companies submit reports on the condition of overhead transmission lines within three months.
