ANRE to publish an energy consumer’s guidebook

The National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) will round out this year a guide for the energy consumer. ANRE considers that in this way it will increase the information level of the consumers concerning their rights and duties, procedures for solving the litigations between them and energy suppliers. Director of ANRE Anatol Burlacov mentioned that although in the last three years the number of petitions was halved, from 1200 - in 2004 down to 665 - in 2006, in more than a half of them the authors solicited explanations and consultations on the problems they face, which confirms the fact that many of them do know their rights and duties. The guidebook will contain specialists’ explanations, commentaries and recommendations concerning consumer protection, as well as answers to the most frequent questions addressed to the Agency. At a first stage, the Consumer’s guide will be posted on the ANRE webpage (www.anre.md), and later it will be published and delivered to the beneficiaries. 665 petitions have been registered in 2006, at the regulation authority from electric power, natural gases and thermal energy consumers, by 26 % less than in 2005. Of these, 619 (94%) are related to the activity of companies from the electric power sector and 46 (6%) – from the natural gas and thermal energy sector. Most of the petitioners denied the accusations of illegal consumption brought by suppliers and the size of payments established for this consumption. Many petitions contain complaints about the quality of services, bills, conditions included in the energy supply contracts etc. As result of ANRE intervention, suppliers satisfied requirements exposed in 153 petitions (23%) and recalculated the sums denied in 40 cases (22%) of 182. Explanations and consultations have been offered for 399 petitions (60%). Requirements included in 46 petitions (7%) have been rejected, being qualified as unfounded. According to ANRE, in 2006, electric power suppliers from Moldova were having 1.227 mln consumers and the natural gas suppliers – more than 510,000.