Greece implements new rules for unpaid electricity bills

New regulations have been introduced in Greece regarding unpaid electricity bills following a decision published in the Government Gazette to amend the Electricity Supply Code for Customers. The changes impact both the procedures for handling overdue payments and the conditions under which a consumer can switch electricity providers.

Under the new framework, suppliers can request a customer's history from the relevant operator when a provider change is requested. This includes up to two years of consumption data, history of overdue markings, meter deactivation orders, and technical supply characteristics. Contracts will now include customer consent for sharing information regarding overdue debts with third-party suppliers.

Regarding payment timelines, small customers must be given at least 20 days to settle a bill, while paper bills must allow at least 25 days from the date of mailing. If a bill remains unpaid, the debt and interest are carried over to the next billing cycle. If a second deadline passes, the supplier must contact the customer within five days to propose an installment plan. The consumer then has five days to respond to this proposal before further stages, such as marking the customer as overdue in the operator's information system, are triggered.