Power utility PPC has written off, as uncollectible accounts, 1.7 billion euros in unpaid receivables accumulated over the past decade or so by household, business and industrial customers.

This sum represents over 60 percent of PPC’s unpaid receivables total, estimated to be worth 2.7 billion euros.

The 1.7 billion-euro amount written off by PPC concerns customer debt that is at least five years old. Many enterprises with electricity bill arrears owed to PPC are no longer in business.

Though PPC is clearing its books of these uncollectible accounts to financially restructure, the debt, owed by customers does cease to exist.

Debt collection firms that recently took on the task of managing PPC’s unpaid receivables will continue to pursue customers with arrears, despite subdued expectations of success.

These collection firms will be focusing their efforts on more recent unpaid receivables estimated to total as much as one billion euros.

PPC, according to data released last year that has changed little, estimates that over 580,000 financially able customers are deliberately dodging electricity bill payments totaling 545 million euros and overdue for more than six months. Overall, PPC estimates this category of customers to total 1,477,000, owing over 1.5 billion euros.

Also, the corporation estimates that a further 895,000 customers have switched suppliers, leaving PPC with a total of one billion euros in of unpaid receivables.

PPP recently reached securitization package agreements with JP Morgan and PIMCO, the former for unpaid receivables overdue by up to 60 days and the latter for unpaid receivables overdue by more than 90 days.