Power utility PPC, badly affected by departing customers despite their electricity bill arrears, wants a direct link established between amounts owed and power meters as a means of stopping debt-ridden consumers from roving about from one supplier to another.

The power utility has formally requested RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, to intervene and make the required revisions that would stop customers with electricity debt from switching suppliers.

Consumers, both households and businesses, have resorted to changing their tax file numbers for continued power supply from other suppliers.

Companies that have gone out of business, along with households and enterprises that have changed tax file numbers, exceed 820,000 cases and owe PPC a total of more than 840 million euros.

European law does not permit restrictions preventing customers from switching suppliers.