Some citizens are once again in trouble with "heated" electricity bills. After consumers received, as they claimed, illogically higher bills for kilowatts this January, the media again write that the differences in the calculations in February are dizzying. This time, the media close to the regime are also writing about the potential mistakes of the EPS, which claim that some households received a five-six times higher utility bill, and that the householders did not change their habits.
Bigger problems with electricity bills have been popping up every now and then since the mass replacement of old meters with new, digital ones began, although Even before that, EPS had numerous failures – most often during the winter.
However, citizens who receive an increased bill often do not know how to act and due to fear of the executor - they pay the amount delivered to them, hoping that the word "only" is a one-time mistake and that the next debt will still be at the old level.
How to complain
Precisely because of this, the Association of Consumers of Effective was established a few years ago, when in one month it was recorded about 17.000 complaints sent to the Electric Power Company of Serbia, made instructions for citizens, which explains how to pay the undisputed part of the bill, while they can dispute the disputed part.
"What we have established so far, the increased bills were created on two grounds - due to the wrong reading of the meter and it is solved by the consumer submitting the correct balance to EPS, after which the bill must be corrected, which is what happens," the instruction says. "The second reason is that the meter shows a drastically increased consumption, even though there was none in reality. Such cases, which represent the majority of consumer complaints, will be somewhat more difficult to prove, but with a comparison of consumption from previous months and years, it is not impossible."
First, a written complaint should be sent to EPS, in which the consumer will dispute the amount of the bill, by comparing the consumption with the previous month/months or the same months from last year, or by stating other arguments in favor of the consumer. In the same letter, a report on current readings for the last three to six months should also be requested, with the question of what date the reading was taken and what were the conditions on the current meter.
Twilight of the meter tender saga: How a company close to SNS won
Until EPS responds, and the response deadline is eight days, the consumer can pay the undisputed part of the bill. If he does that, the consumer must write on the payment slip that he is paying the undisputed part of the bill. The disputable part remains to be resolved within the complaint, which, in case of rejection, EPS can only be resolved by court, i.e. by initiating a collection procedure through the executor.
"In that procedure, the consumer defends himself with a complaint, and during the court process, EPS would have to prove the basis of the claim, which we believe will be somewhat more difficult. It should be taken into account that in order to initiate this procedure, EPS must advance the amount of 5.000 dinars to the executor, so the question of profitability arises, if the disputed part of the bill is of a smaller amount and for a large number of consumers," say Effectura.
They also advise that consumers who opt for this option should pay each subsequent bill with a payment slip in which, for the purpose of payment, they will write that they are paying the bill for that month.
Report to the inspection
If EPS does not respond to the complaint within eight days, it should be reported to the market inspection the next day, which must fine EPS. If the consumer receives an answer with an explanation indicating that the EPS did not read the current, it should be forwarded to the inspection again.
If the answer states that EPS is not competent and refers to the company that performed the measurement, the consumer has no obligation to communicate with the company with which he does not have a contractual relationship. Such a response would constitute an unfair business practice and it is also reported to the market inspection.
For all three things listed above, the matrix for reporting to the market inspection is found in the text on this one link.
EPS denies problems
Photo: Tanjug/Dragan KujundžićPhoto: Tanjug/Dragan Kujunžić
Elektrodistribucija Srbije told Euronews Serbia that the number of submitted complaints has not increased compared to the previous period.
"All consumers who have doubts about the correctness of the account can file a complaint by e-mail to the e-mail address [email protected] , on the "EPS Account Insight" portal, by phone (toll-free phone line) at phone number 0800111202 or in person at our branches," EPS told us.
New electricity price increase
The price of electricity for households will certainly increase this year, and that by October at the latest, according to the latest report of the International Monetary Fund on the implementation of the current arrangement with Serbia.
According to the official agreement with the Fund, the amount of that price increase will be determined later, after a detailed financial analysis of the needs of energy companies that will be completed in May, according to the Statement on Economic Policies until 2027, which the Government of Serbia sent to the Fund, the media reported. The material emphasizes that the planned price increase will in any case not be lower than the inflation measured by the consumer price index, plus one percentage point. If the projected inflation until the end of 2026 is slightly more than four percent, there is a possibility that the price increase will be around five.
It was also announced that the fees that Elektrodistribucija and Elektromreža Srbije pay to EPS for losses "will also be corrected by October 1, 2026 at the latest, from 70 to 80 euros per megawatt-hour."
