More customers – more fines. It seems funny, but this is exactly what is happening at “Hydroelectricity”, the market leader in the supply of electricity to the population, which for years has not been able to solve billing problems. The company estimates that it will pay more than 10 million lei in fines this year, compared to 3.9 million lei last year. Representatives of the supplier claim that they expect an increase in the number of customers.

The company budgeted an amount of 10.045 million lei in this year’s income and expenses budget as costs with increases and penalties, “mainly including costs with penalties and fines provided for the supply segment, which arise mainly from the delay in billing customers.” .

The amount is 2.5 times higher than the amount of fines paid last year (3.9 million lei). These are ANRE and ANPC fines.

The company says this is prudential budgeting

Company representatives told HotNews.ro that this estimate is based on an increase in the number of customers over the next period:

“This is prudential budgeting, it does not take into account a specific event, but only the number of portfolio clients. Last year we paid 3.9 million lei. We didn’t expect to pay more, but we budgeted just in case. We are sure that there will be significant changes in digitization that will reduce or eliminate billing problems,” Hidroelectrica representatives say.

In Facebook groups, some Hidroelectrica customers say they have not received bills for over a year. People advise each other to file complaints with ANRE and ANPK.

Some of those who do not have accounts are passive. “It doesn’t concern me, I haven’t received a bill since December 2022, so no big deal. So why should I bother them,” says Sorin O., a residential customer from Bucharest.

Joking aside, on a more serious note, this practice is illegal and the bills, when they catch up, add up and result in amounts that are difficult to pay in one payment, plus all the confusion with billing periods.

For example, the case of Mirel P.: “After the report made to ANPC, I received unpaid invoices for the period 28.05 – 31.12.2023. Among the monthly ones, I also found an account that passed the period 07.07 – 10.31. I provided a monthly index, there is no Normalization on the account. I don’t understand what’s wrong with her. Also, please let me know how you went about paying in installments. All invoices were issued yesterday and are due on March 11, and the amount is not small.”

In total, she owes more than 3,200 lei. He said the request to ANPC was resolved within a week, but in the case of other customers, it took several weeks from the time the complaint was lodged to the unblocking of the accounts.

“Seven bills came in within two hours,” she says.

In this case, it would be recommended to ask for installment payments and the company is obliged to accept it (the form is available on the Hidroelectrica website).

“A year and 7 months without bills. If you want to solve it, contact ANRE, not Hidroelectrica. I didn’t do it at ANRE, I also did a few at Hidroelectrica, and no one paid attention to me,” writes Silvana S.

Other problems recently encountered by Hidroelectrica customers are related to the impossibility of transmitting the reading from the meter due to problems with the application.

However, some of those who submitted the index complained that the data they provided was not taken into account and bills were issued based on estimated consumption.

How Hidroelectrica became the main energy supplier in the country

Hidroelectrica had 530,850 residential customers as of the end of September 2023, up from 256,539 a year earlier, according to the company’s latest financial report.

With a share of 16%, the company is the leader in the energy supply market, ahead of the classic suppliers Enel, Electrica, CEZ and E.ON.

The main activity of Hidroelectrica is the production of electricity at hydroelectric plants, but with the liberalization of the market in 2021, the company has developed supply. Since then, it has been the cheapest energy company for domestic consumers.

The number of Hidroelectrica customers could increase significantly in the near term if Hidroelectrica keeps its prices low as the bill cap scheme ends (April 1, 2025).

Since the summer of last year, the company has been registered on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

What problems did ANRE find?

Last year, in March, ANRE announced that it had fined Hidroelectrica 400,000 lei for several violations:

“In the context of numerous reports and complaints received regarding the commercial behavior of the electricity supplier SPEEH Hidroelectrica SA, at the beginning of the year we ordered a large-scale control action at the supplier in question.

According to the results of the control measure, violations were detected in the supplier’s activities, which consist of:

• failure to provide invoices for the amount of electricity supplied to 482,638 end consumers in the portfolio for each accounting period and within the terms provided for in the electricity supply contracts concluded with them;
• non-delivery or delay in delivery of responses to customer requests;
• failure to conclude or non-compliance with the deadline for concluding an electricity supply contract after acceptance of the terms of supply and submission of the necessary documentation by the client.

For the discovered facts, the electricity supplier SPEEH Hidroelectrica SA was punished for the violation with a maximum fine of 400,000 lei, which is twice the maximum amount provided by law.

And during 2022, ANRE constantly monitored the activities of SPEEH Hidroelectrica SA, for similar actions, 71 illegal sanctions were imposed on the supplier in the amount of 365,000 lei.”

Read also:

• Adventures of customers of Hidroelectrica / New problems of consumers under the contract with this supplier
• Advantages and disadvantages of the contract with Hidroelectrica / What is the experience of customers of the energy supplier?
• Hidroelectrica mixed up the numbers and sent out false offers to residential consumers

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