19.07.2021 – 13:43
The Water Regulatory Authority has underlined that flat rate billing negatively affects the water sector and in this context there are households that consume below this limit as well as those that consume above the limit.
In order to establish a fair report, WRA has encouraged the installation of meters in conditions when there are over 7 thousand such bills.
“WSS companies for 2020 have reported the installation of 32,349 new meters, so the number of connections to the meter has gone 717,725 connections from 902,142 existing connections in total in all companies. The sector still continues to bill approximately 7,447 private clients and institutions, while the process of installing meters, in the category of non-household clients financed by the clients themselves, should have been completed pursuant to Decision no. 236, dated 10.5.1993 and DCM no.96, dated 21.2.2007 ”evaluates the WRA.
Regarding the financial need that may arise for the installation of meters WRA underlines that it may be the central government that supports this part to move towards a fairer billing of customers.
“WRA constantly emphasizes the need to install meters in all key components of water supply systems and individual customers, but for this is required the support with funding from the central government. “Consumers have to pay for the real amount of water consumed by them, so equipping the entire system with water meters remains one of the main objectives of companies and an element that alleviates the problems of managing water demand and reducing abuses of its over-consumption.” stated in the sector performance report.
The Office underlines that the deterioration of the non-revenue water indicator is related, among other things, to flat-rate billing, and that attention should be paid to this, as well as to illegal connections that are another cause.
“The UPA indicator at the level of 65.4%, deteriorating by 1.7% for 2020, continues to remain at high and unacceptable levels. Factors such as “illegal connections”, “flat billing”, “wrong readings by billers”, as well as “old pipeline systems” that were attached to the companies during the new territorial reform are some of the factors that still hold this indicator in such high levels “, the report says.
