How households left without electricity will be compensated - The three difficulties

Reduction or zeroing of distribution network usage charges is the most likely scenario for relief, although the possibility of a one-off compensation is also being considered.

With the electrification has now been restored (although about 100 households in Marathon and Koropi still do not have electricity), the Ministry of Energy and DEDDIE are looking for ways to compensate those consumers who were left in the dark during the snow days, realizing that the anger of citizens is great.

One of the most prevalent, therefore, scenarios being investigated by the Ministry of Energy and the DEDDIE is either the zeroing or reduction of part of the regulated charges on the bills of consumers affected by «Elpida».

This charge relates to the use of the «Greek distribution network». It is not known whether this will apply to the four-day period or whether it may be extended to January consumption.

Such «compensation» was also given last year during the period of the «Medea» invasion.

The reduction or zeroing of this charge is due to the impossibility of identifying the cases in which the electricity supply was interrupted. This is because households were scattered in Attica and not in a specific geographical area as they were last year with «Medea».

Either way, this scenario of reducing or zeroing the Greek Distribution Network charge is open to the Ministry of Energy.

The amount of this charge for a consumption of 1,100 kWh over a four-month period is approximately EUR 25.

Difficult to give a lump sum

The Ministry of Environment and Energy is also considering scenarios of direct financial compensation with a lump sum. However, solutions of this kind have difficulties for three reasons:

Why there is no institutional framework providing for compensation from the TEN-T on the lines of the Attica Road.
Because the range of the duration of the low voltage power outages cannot be clearly recorded. That is, from the part of the electricity distribution network for households and small and medium-sized enterprises. The metering system is «blind» as the network is not digitised. That is, the DEDDIE does not «see» who does not have electricity, since there is no real-time recording infrastructure of electricity consumption.
The only possibility of compensation is for damage to household appliances caused by the fluctuation of the voltage of the current (neutral cut according to the technical terminology).