Serbian citizens in the north go to warnings of power cuts, 15 days of deadline to pay off debts

Electricity is calculated by the authorised subject [Electern], bills are distributed, but the level of bill payment from citizens is still low”, say the Energy Regulatory Office.

However, their response does not specify exactly how many citizens do not pay their bills in Serb majority municipalities in northern Kosovo.

According to the report we've received late from Elektroseveri, an estimated 23 thousand consumers are in the north. Under current legislation and issued licenses, it is Elektroseverer's responsibility to take all measures to pay electricity”, it says in response.

The company Elektrosever received the license to work in Kosovo in June 2023. Early this year, however, it started sending first bills to consumers.

They do not pay the spent electricity since the post-war in Kosovo in 1999.

How does the electronicsever company work?

Elektrosever is a company owned by Serbia's energy company, EPS, which is registered in Kosovo under the laws of Kosovo.

It stems from the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on energy, reached within the framework of dialogue for normalising relations, mediated by the European Union.

According to the license received in Kosovo, it has the right to buy and sell electricity to the electricity market, resell excessive capacities at agreed prices, as well as to import and export electricity.

Why do citizens not pay for electricity?

Predrag from North Mitrovica does not pay the electricity bills, because he believes his rating is old and that bills for his expenses are unrealistic.

He says he receives the bills regularly but has paid only the first one he received in February of this year. Others say they won't pay because they're “abnormal”.

The human being is old, pre-war... No one came to see him. Some abnormal bills come, from 90 to 200 or 250 euros”, Predragu says.

He adds that he expects that in the next period, he will change the book, which will read his new balance, and on which he will pay his bills.

At the end of April, Elektroseveri began changing older diplomats and placing young people in new objects they did not have, but the process is still under way.

There are old electricity unions, too, Nenad, but he says he pays his bills regularly.

It shows that, during the summer period, it has paid an average of 10 euros a month and says it regularly keeps evidence of the spent flow.

I pay [orderly] for my bills not to be collected. The current has to be paid. Such a decision has been taken, and officials [of Elektroseveri] have told me that [fat] must be paid”, Nenad says.

Alexandra from Northern Mitrovica says she did not want to pay bills for the spent electricity when the distribution began at the beginning of the year, but that, meanwhile, she changed her mind.

I paid my first bill... which was like a advance. Then I took a long pause, but now I've cleared all my bills”, Alexandra says.

According to her, power distributors in northern Kosovo only calculate the expensive current, and that is why some households have high bills.

What do they say about Elektrosver?

The company Elektrosever did not answer questions about whether citizens of municipalities in northern Kosovo regularly pay their bills, how many consumers there are, what measures will be taken against those who do not pay and similar.

But, on September 23rd, this company announced the opinion that the warning to cut power supplies will be sent to all consumers, whose outstanding debt is over 100 euros.

The company also called on citizens to enable access to digitals in order to register consumption, and again invited them to link contracts with the Elektrosvere for electricity supply.

From Elektrosseverer, they told the REL earlier that those who did not pay the first preliminary bill and did not sign contracts with them automatically become consumers of the Kosovo Power Supply Company (KESCO).

But in the latest announcement, they said that Elektroseverer has a legal right to suspend the power supply to customers who don't have contracts, as well as those who haven't been able to access the book.

“Secure and sustainable power-resistant is achieved with regular write-off of bills”, said the announcement.

In KESCO, they did not answer the question of whether they have consumers in northern Kosovo.

In June 2023, Kosovo and Serbia signed a guide for implementation of the Energy Agreement, which was reached in 2013 under the dialogue for normalisation of relations.

Then, early in December 2023, The EU announced that the Serbian company, Elektrosever, has signed a commercial contract with the Kosovar Power Distribution Company (KEDS).