Hotline of power engineering specialists:
IDGC of Centre is continuing to collect accounts receivable and improve the payment discipline of unscrupulous consumers and retail companies. In particular, recently, the power company notified its debtors of the entry into force of a new law, which significantly toughens measures against defaulters.
Staring from 5 December 2015 under new Federal Law № 307-FZ, aimed at "strengthening the payment discipline of consumers of energy resources", debtors - legal entities from the first day following the day of payment of the debt will have to pay a penalty equal to 1/130 of the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of Russia, which equals a bank loan, taken at a rate of 23% per annum.
The law eliminates the gap in the Russian legislation, which previously allowed unscrupulous consumers to borrow at the expense of the grid company, accumulating multi-million debts. From now on, penalties will be calculated taking into account how consumers delay payments on invoices.
In addition, the new law introduces changes to the Code of Administrative Offences, significantly toughening penalties including under Article 7.19 of the Administrative Code - penalties for non-metered and non-contractual energy consumption will grow threefold. Fines and penalties for late payment of utility services and energy resources are provided for all categories of payers. "Unswitched off" consumers under the new law will be obliged to provide a guarantee of payment.
According to Deputy Director General for Sale and Development of Services of IDGC of Centre Evgenia Kabanova: "In the fight against non-payment, we always rely on the Russian legislation. The new law was adopted in a timely manner. It should significantly discipline debtors and help IDGC of Centre in the struggle for elimination of receivables. Finally, the debt "rose" and keeping them is not longer profitable."
Please, be reminded that the total size of receivables for services on transmission of electric energy in IDGC of Centre has reached a critical state and has made up to 21.9 billion rubles, of which 18.8 billion rubles account for suppliers of last resort. Arrears amounted to 14.7 billion rubles, of which 13.7 billion rubles accounted for suppliers of last resort. The data are presented as of November 2015.