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Electricity Authority react to wave of complaints
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Following the public uproar, the Gibraltar Electricity Authority has now said that it hasembarked on a disconnection policy for non-payment of electricity bills.
"Consequently, a letter in respect of electricity accounts with outstanding amounts has been sent to the person last registered as that account holder," says a Press release.
It adds: "With the introduction of a disconnection policy for outstanding arrears of electricity charges after decades of no disconnections for non-payment, the Authority has inevitably been faced with a situation where some letters may have been sent in error.For instance, letters may have been sent to an account holder who has changed address or indeed may now be deceased, but the circumstances were not reported at that time.
"The Authority would like to apologise to those who may have received such a letter in error. The Authority would like to advise such persons to contact the Authority by telephone on number 49235 or personally at our Rosia Road Consumer Unit and the matter will be regularised without delay.
"With regard to the overall disconnection policy for non-payment of electricity bills, the Authority would like to assure consumers that their individual circumstances will be fully taken into account.As has already been stated in the letter to consumers, the Authority will agree to the payment of historic arrears by instalments over a reasonable time provided of course that current bills are paid in a timely manner."
COMPLAINTS
People are complaining about the sudden nature of such a drastic change in policy from what is a monopoly, which means that consumers have to put up with disconnection threats without the option of going to a different supplier. "For that reason alone," said a complainant,"the Electricity department cannot behave in such a draconian fashion. What is little Gibraltar coming to, with Government departments and other official bodies all behaving, overnight, in such fashion as if they had run out of money?"
Others say that historical arrears go back over a good number of years, even more than ten years. "If they have allowed such a situation to develop over so many years they cannot now expect overnight change...they are at least partly responsible for the situation," said another person, who also expressed surprise that the Electricity department's records were so out of date and inaccurate in many respects.
"What a chaotic situation," exclaimed someone. "All they have done is create a state of panic among their consumers on whom they depend. And with no prior warning!"
A person gave us a copy of a letter received, which was dated 3 July. It is headed NOTICE OF DISCONNECTION POLICY FOR NON-PAYMENT OF ELECTRICITY BILLS OUTSTANDING.
The letter from the Electricity Authority is signed by Chief Executive Xavier Pons.
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