Power supply cuts executed by distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO in 2022 increased by roughly 6,000 compared to 2021, a subdued rise given the ongoing energy crisis and increased energy costs for households.

The operator commended consumers for their ability to adjust to the extreme market conditions.

The number of consumers shifting suppliers in 2022 rose only slightly, to 588,000 customers, up from 555,000 in 2021, despite expectations of greater mobilization in 2022.

However, unrestricted usage, by consumers, of the country’s universal electricity supply service, covering the electricity needs of black-listed consumers who have been shunned by suppliers over payment failures, is a problem for the market, Dimitris Vranis, Director of the Network Users Department at DEDDIE/HEDNO told last week’s Power & Gas Forum in Athens.

The universal service’s current framework, offering consumers usage over limitless periods, has been loss-incurring for suppliers.

Consumer reliance on the universal electricity supply service, up 12 percent this year alone, has grown considerably in recent years. It is provided collectively – by law – by the electricity market’s top five suppliers, based on market share.