There are quite a few consumers who state that they are wrongly accused of electricity theftafter rudimentary, as they point out, checks by the DEDDIE.
The related complaints have increased lately, for fines due to differences in consumption or even broken seals that may be due to any other reason. In fact, it is difficult for these consumers to later find their right and prove that they are innocent. The fines for electricity theft can reach thousands of euros, as they are calculated based on the allegedly stolen consumption.
As the representative of the ND, Alexandra Sdoukou, stated in this regard, speaking to OPEN, the DEDDIE now confirms more incidents of rheumatic theft than in the past. When workshops find a disputed meter, they take it to the lab and the consumer is invited to be present during the inspection. As long as the laboratory confirms that there is electricity theft, then a file is opened that goes to the courts. The customer is asked to pay the fine and if he wins the court, the money is returned to him.
Consumer associations, such as INKA, however, consider that this is an unfair and unacceptable situation. The president, Giorgos Lehouritis, said that “the citizen cannot be asked to prove that he is not an elephant”. IKNA advised those who have been unjustly accused of electricity theft to contact the Citizen’s Advocate.
In view of the above, it seems that the trigger is quite “soft” at DEDDIE, possibly due to the pressures it receives to deal with this harmful phenomenon.
The energy regulatory authority (RAAEF) is also aware of the issue, which is expected to discuss it with DEDDIE in an upcoming meeting, along with the broader issues of metering.