Embankment in the phenomenon of energy “tourism” and subsequent accumulation overdue debtsfavoring the free movement of customers with the introduction of a new pricing model, suppliers are trying to establish Currentthrough the genre Energy “Teresa”. In August, the first month of the introduction of the new pricing mechanism, the movement of customers between suppliers, according to market participants, increased by 20% compared to previous months, and this percentage is estimated to increase even more in September and in the winter season starting in August . , due to summer holidays, is not an indicative month.

The percentage of August moves, according to the market, are consumers who changed providers, leaving unpaid bills, because they are not legally bound. In order to stop the phenomenon of energy “tourism” – as it is commonly called – and since calls for intervention in Ministry of Environment and Energy found themselves in a vacuum, they are focused on the creation and operation of the energy “Tiresia” according to the standards of the corresponding mobile communication system (codenamed “Telegnous”), where companies will have access to data on electricity bills.

Concerns about the progress of unpaid debts on the part of providers are high, as, according to responsible persons, a delay in payment of more than 45 days reaches 30% of cash. Although growth has stabilized over the past two months with high subsidies, there are serious concerns about a possible escalation in the next period, especially during the winter season with high consumption.

The new pricing model makes it easier for customers to move, which increased by 20% in August.

The delay in collection exacerbates growing liquidity problems for suppliers as they have been paying exorbitant amounts for months to cover increased wholesale costs to purchase electricity to serve their customers. Opportunities for new credit lines are narrowing as banks demand more and more guarantees to limit their exposure to energy companies in a particularly volatile environment. Statements by the head of PPC indicate that huge price fluctuations put pressure on the liquidity of even large companies. Giorgos Stasis when one day in August the company was asked to pay around €1 billion to cover seats as the price of gas briefly jumped to €1,300. “Of course you’ll get that money back when prices drop, but in order to invest it when you need it, you have to have it,” said Mr. Stasis, who has advocated for the intervention of the Assurance Commission on energy companies. believing that “even if such a mechanism is created, the message to the markets will be so strong that we will also see prices fall.”

The market is waiting for a new subsidy system, which will come into force on October 1, and which, according to the Prime Minister, will be combined with incentives for savings. The new model, according to currently available information, will include at least three consumption scales. The first will be low consumption combined with high subsidies, followed by two more scales with lower subsidies by category. All scales will receive an additional subsidy if they achieve monthly consumption savings of 15% compared to the corresponding month last year.

Pending the government’s decision, electricity suppliers, through their association (ESPEN), informed the Minister of Energy in a letter, Mr Skreka, for the complexity and high degree of complexity of its implementation in the “extremely limited time frame”, as they usually state. They emphasize that both the availability of the necessary data and the time constraints for customizing vendors’ information systems should be assessed.