Unpaid power debt and switching-linked delinquency concerns
Greek authorities are tightening electricity switching rules as unpaid power bills reach around €3 billion. The changes are designed to address concerns that customers can leave unpaid balances behind after moving between suppliers. Roughly half of the outstanding debt is linked to consumers who have changed providers.
Officials say the revised approach will connect supplier switching eligibility with payment and disconnection history. The framework is set out in revisions to the Electricity Supply Code and focuses on how switching can be handled in cases of non-payment.
Electricity Supply Code revisions on blocking transfers
Under the updated Electricity Supply Code, switching may be blocked if a disconnection order for non-payment is already active. Switching can also be prevented where a consumer has delinquency records submitted by at least three suppliers. These provisions aim to limit transfers in cases where repeated payment problems have been recorded.
The rules also cover situations where consumers change supplier successfully but later fail to pay their final bill to their previous provider. This extends the scope of the framework beyond the point of switching itself.
Database, customer screening, and procedural safeguards
A dedicated database will be created to record repeated payment problems. Suppliers will be allowed to reject some prospective customers who have outstanding debts or repeated disconnection proceedings. Consumers will retain procedural protections, including limits on how quickly registration can be triggered.
One unpaid bill alone will not be sufficient for registration. After a second payment deadline is missed, suppliers must contact the consumer, issue a reminder, and offer instalment arrangements. Only if the customer rejects an instalment plan or later breaches it can the supplier proceed with delinquency registration and a meter-disconnection order.
Removing restrictions after settlement or repayment agreements
Restrictions introduced under the framework must be removed once the debt is settled or a formal repayment agreement is reached. The removal requirement applies after suppliers have initiated steps tied to delinquency registration and disconnection orders.
The provisions therefore set conditions for both enforcement and lifting of switching-related limits based on payment outcomes. The approach remains tied to the existence of unpaid balances and whether repayment terms are accepted and maintained.
