CEZ starts nationwide disconnection campaign on debtors

TIRANA, July 26 – CEZ Shp쳮darje, in the framework of guaranteeing quality energy supply to regular customers, has announced that it has started a campaign for the disconnection of illegal connections to the distribution grid and cutting off power for its debtors.
This campaign is extending to all the Albanian territories where there is a considerable amount of debit. Teams from the Collection Department continue to be in the field, working with our clients that are debtors for the energy they have consumed, whereas teams from the Department of Non-Technical Losses are performing disconnections of all illegal connections made by debtors.
Although CEZ Shp쳮darje has made available to debtors the payment of accumulated debt through installments, there have been cases when such schemes have not only been ignored, but debtors have also had confrontations with CEZ Shp쳮darje teams, as was the case in the village of Mursi in the Saranda district, where debtors blocked the company’s employees for more than two hours, threatening not to release them unless power was reconnected. Another similar case occurred in the Kolsh commune in Lezha, where after the disconnection of energy supply to inhabitants, they reconnected the cabin, illegally and ignoring every work and safety standard, with the distribution grid, thus obliging CEZ Shp쳮darje to switch off the feeder for the zone for reasons of technical safety. In Bicaj and Ujmisht, illegal connection to the grid, after CEZ Shperndarje cut off the debtors, caused a power blackout.
In the framework of the campaign for the disconnection of illegal connections and interruption of energy supply to debtors in all the country’s territory, 72 teams from CEZ Shperndarje are working on fields, carrying out 25 controls/team every day, to ensure that there are no illegal connections to the grid and that debtors for whom power has been cut off are not connected illegally. Also, in regard to theft of energy, be through illegal connections or not paying the energy bill, CEZ Shperndarje has reported to prosecution 1,705 cases, of which 255 are currently in court and for another 514 cases the courts has issued penalties for the violator, from hefty fines to time behind bars.
Against the negative phenomenon of energy stealing, CEZ Shp쳮darje is using all available means, but representatives from the distribution company stress that such efforts need the assistance of the local authorities and police forces as well. The truth, say the same sources, is that stealing energy does not damage only the company, but also the Albanian families, the private business as well as the local authorities, because these energy thefts directly affect the service quality, the investment plan and the energy tariffs.
In a press conference held this week, Admirim Lakra, head of distribution for CEZ Shperndarje stressed that the company would guarantee the electrical energy supply only for consumers who pay their financial obligations, adding that it’s determined not to allow consumers to steal energy or not pay for the electrical energy without respecting the contractual deadlines. According to Lakra, the company will file charges for legal proceedings at the Prosecution Office in accordance with the legislation in force, against all these debtors who continue not to fulfil their obligations of electrical energy payments.