site.btaOf 4,000 Complaints over High Electricity Bills Checked, 38 Found Valid, Says Energo-Pro Executive

Of 4,000 complaints over high electricity bills reviewed so far, 38 have been found to be justified, Plamen Stefanov, Chair of the Management Board of Energo-Pro Sales AD, said during a public meeting on Friday organized by Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva on the issue.

He noted that the company has received a total of 5,326 complaints to date.

"Thirty-eight have been deemed justified, with each complaint being thoroughly reviewed not only formally to identify potential issues, but also to dispel any doubts regarding the accuracy of the bill," Stefanov said.

Of the 38 upheld complaints, 26 were due to an incorrect tariff switch - the device controlling day and night rates. In 12 cases, there was a technical issue with the electricity meter, which does not necessarily mean it was measuring inaccurately, he added.

According to Stefanov, all justified complaints have already led to corrections of the respective bills.

He said that higher electricity bills are mainly due to lower temperatures, increased consumption and a greater number of non-working days compared with the previous year. Stefanov also pointed to a trend of rising electricity consumption in recent years, noting that usage has been increasing by between 2% and 3% annually as more consumers switch to electric heating.