In 2024, unpaid electricity bills in Greece surged by nearly 40% compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 3.4 billion euros, according to the energy market regulator RAAEY. This marks a sharp increase from the 2.4 billion euros recorded in 2023, underscoring the growing difficulties faced by both households and businesses in meeting their electricity payment obligations.
The rise in unpaid debts also highlights deeper structural problems within the energy market. A major concern is the continued exploitation of legal loopholes by so-called strategic defaulters—consumers who repeatedly switch electricity suppliers to avoid settling outstanding bills. RAAEY reports that around 1.6 billion euros of the total unpaid debt stems from such customers.
Despite previous announcements from the former Energy Ministry leadership promising regulatory reforms, implementation of these measures has yet to materialize. This has left dependable customers shouldering the financial burden. RAAEY estimates that the extra cost passed on to consumers due to unpaid bills amounts to 60 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh), with current customers covering about 32.78 euros and former customers 27.25 euros. Although electricity suppliers dispute these figures, they admit that part of the losses is inevitably transferred to the consumer base.
Anastasios Lostarakos, president of the electricity suppliers’ association (ESPEN), warned that the increasing volume of unpaid bills is driving up electricity costs for all consumers. He emphasized that while suppliers strive to absorb some of the losses, regular payers are still affected by the actions of strategic defaulters. Industry experts believe that tackling the issue of “energy tourism,” which has persisted since late 2020, could ease financial pressures and help lower electricity prices across the board.
