The National Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has published on its website, for public consultation, two draft orders regarding the performance standards to be met by electricity and natural gas distribution operators, according to a statement.
In the case of the performance standard for the electricity distribution service, the main changes refer to the inclusion of explicit provisions on the obligation of distribution operators regarding the periodicity of reading the indexes of metering groups for end customers and prosumers, respectively for ensuring access of integrated users at intelligent measurement systems for historical consumption data (measurement data), as well as provisions on granting compensation to users in case of exceeding the reading period/lack of access to historical consumption data, according to Agerpres.
In the case of the performance standard for the natural gas distribution service, the main changes refer to the modification/redefinition of some performance indicators for the relevant activities of the natural gas distribution operator regarding the natural gas measurement, periodicity of reading the measurement equipment index, regularization the differences between the allocations and the quantities of distributed gas, the connection to the natural gas distribution system, as well as to the modifications of the compensations that the operator has the obligation to pay for not fulfilling the specific indicators, specifying the situations in which it has no obligation to grant compensations.
At the same time, the obligation of the distribution operator to transmit to the user an information regarding his right to receive compensations for non-compliance with the provisions of this standard and regarding the situations in which the distribution system operator is obliged to grant compensations, compensation values, the way of requesting/granting, as well as the term and the way of their payment.
“We consider that the changes will help to avoid issuing invoices related to electricity and natural gas consumption of final customers based on estimates, as a result of late readings compared to the deadlines provided in the regulations,” said ANRE representatives.
Thus, the prospect of paying compensation to final customers will lead to the stimulation of distribution operators in order to achieve the readings of the measurement groups on time.
The energy and gas distributors received fines of 2.77 million lei from the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) for not complying with the legislation on meter reading.