Ivan Ivanov, Chairman of the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (KEVR), announced that the regulator has established three working groups to inspect the operations of Bulgaria’s three electricity distribution companies. This move comes in response to electricity outages that occurred in certain regions of the country last week, caused by severe weather conditions.
Ivanov clarified that, by law, the Energy Ministry is responsible for the technical condition, operation, and disaster preparedness of energy facilities. He emphasized that KEVR does not have the capacity to directly address the technical condition of energy infrastructure. Instead, the regulator’s role is to ensure that licensed companies comply with the terms of their licenses. The inspections were initiated as part of KEVR’s regulatory oversight to ensure companies meet these standards.
Regarding compensation for consumers affected by outages, Ivanov explained that according to the general terms and conditions in contracts with electricity distribution companies, customers who experience outages exceeding 24 hours are entitled to compensation: 15 euros for the initial 24-hour period, and an additional 10 euros for every subsequent 12-hour period if the outage exceeds 36 hours. When asked if distribution companies could claim force majeure to avoid compensating customers, Ivanov stated that he believes there are no grounds for such claims.
