Bulgarian Homes Compensated After Christmas Blackouts; Electricity Distributors Face Penalties
Residents of Rhodope villages near Plovdiv have started submitting collective complaints, demanding compensation for the Christmas spent in the dark and cold. This comes after the government announced a 2 millionBGN ($1.22 million USD) budget allocation to compensate families affected by the power outages.
The funds will be distributed among more than 20,000 households in the most affected regions. Additionally, each of the three electricity distribution companies (ESOs) must pay the penalties outlined in their network access agreements.
Manastir village has already submitted its online complaint through EVN to the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC), with Sitovo preparing to do the same. The municipality of "Rhodopes" has taken responsibility for submitting complaints on behalf of the highland villages of Churen and Sdobovan.
Sitovo residents calculated that each household should receive around 400 BGN ($244 USD) in compensation. "Electricity stopped on December 21st and was only restored in the last house on January 1st. We were without power for almost 12 days, and the village has disabled residents and even had visitors with young children during the holidays," explained Velidena Skratchova, a former mayor and current president of the local community center.
Manastir residents spent eight days without power, leading to canceled reservations at local guesthouses and forcing some owners to leave the village due to the cold and darkness. Power lines were damaged by heavy snowfall, with some areas receiving up to 1.15 meters of snow.
Each ESO must now pay the penalties outlined in their contracts, while families will receive compensation from the allocated budget.
