Moldovan energy regulatory authority issues warning after unscheduled interruption in electricity supply by Union Fenosa

Chisinau, 23 May /MOLDPRES/ - The National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) has warned the consumers hit by interruptions in the electric energy supply about the fact that they had right to ask the network operator to pay compensations, if the duration of these interruptions was exceeded.    

The size of compensations is established in the regulation on the quality of the electric energy transport and distribution services.

ANRE issued this warning, after the supply with electricity had been interrupted in Chisinau last week on the night to 17 May. The distribution network’s operator, RED Union Fenosa, has earlier informed consumers about the interruption of the energy supply during 1am – 4 am; yet, this interruption lasted starting from 1 am till 8:55 am, according to a press release by ANRE.    

The regulatory authority notes that the concerned interruption cannot be regarded as scheduled and announced, but should be described as unscheduled. According to the provisions of the aforementioned regulation, the allowed duration of the unscheduled interruption of energy delivery for consumers living in towns and cities cannot exceed six hours. In the case from 17 May, the allowed duration for this was exceeded by one hour and 55 minutes. As a result, the affected consumers have right to ask the operator to pay compensations. For the household consumers, the size of the compensation is 20 lei/hour, for non-household consumers with a contracted power of up to 100 KW – 200 lei/hour and for the consumers with the contracted power of more than 100 KW – 500 lei/hour.     

If the 17 May interruption caused material or moral damage to consumers, they have right to demand compensation of the damage inflicted by non-qualitative services, in line with the civil legislation and the contractual stipulations signed,  ANRE also said.   

According to an announcement posted on the webpage of RED Union Fenosa on 17 May, the consumers who suffered material damage may contact the enterprise through the Customers Support Service by calling 022-43-11-11, in order to record the denunciation for analyzing and settling it.  

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor A. Raileanu)