CEZ POWER UTILITY STARTS TO ISSUE MONTHLY BILLS IN BULGARIA

CEZ POWER UTILITY STARTS TO ISSUE MONTHLY BILLS IN BULGARIA

Czech power utility CEZ, which supplies power to over 2 million households and companies in western Bulgaria, including the capital Sofia, announced the start of issuing monthly bills.

One third of the company clients will receive monthly bills as of February 8, while the rest will get the so-called transition bills so that all scores between the company and the subscribers are settled.

Talking to journalists at the end of January CEZ representatives argued that the shift would mean more expenses, estimated at BGN 14,5 M per year, but assured that the company will try to minimize the increase in the bills for consumers.

The move comes two months after a five-member panel of the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the ruling of its three-member panel, which turned down the appeal of the company against a decision of the energy regulator.

At the beginning of April Bulgaria's energy watchdog slapped a BGN 500 000 fine on CEZ for not introducing monthly power bills.

The State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission announced that the Czech utility company has not complied with its last ruling from 2008 to end its three-month power bills by the end of March, 2009 in a bid to protect consumers' interests.