N.Mitrovica locals: The electricity bills are unrealistic, the meters are faulty, I won’t pay, let them turn off my power, we can go to court

„The electricity meters are not functional“; „Electricity bills are unrealistic and do not reflect actual consumption“; „I won’t pay the bill, even if they come and shut down my power“; „If the people are smart, they should agree not to pay until everything is regulated,“ said the citizens of North Mitrovica in a Vox Pop survey carried out by KoSSev.

The visibly-frustrated locals shared their outlooks on the fact that, without prior notice, in addition to flat-rate bills in the amount of 21.60 euros, they received another bill for the month of February based on, as Elektrosever claims, real consumption and electricity meter measurements.

„What kind of a real consumption is this… some have received bills of 500 euros,“ said one of the citizens of North Mitrovica.

Another local raised the question: „How are these realistic bills if they said that a lump sum of 21.60 euros will be paid for the first three months.“

„We are used to them not following through on what was promised and announced. This is nothing new for us,“ she emphasized.

One of KoSSev’s interlocutors underlined that he has yet to receive any bill: „God willing, I won’t receive any, I don’t care about it.“

Some citizens did not receive the preliminary invoice, but they did receive a second bill.

Another resident of North Mitrovica shared her suspicions that the bills were unrealistic, considering how much electricity she actually consumes.

„Today I received a bill in the amount of 165 euros. I live alone, and only one furnace is on. I was not at home for ten days in February. It is not a realistic bill. Tomorrow I’m going to complain, let’s see what the problem is – either it’s the electricity meter, or it’s because they measured how they wanted to,“ she said.

The majority of the respondents also have qualms about the bills showing real electricity consumption.

„No one reads the balance for the second bill. I have the key to the room where the meters are located. No one came and asked for it. How they did it, I don’t know,“ underlined one resident, expressing suspicion that the second bill was also calculated as a flat rate.

„What kind of consumption is this? How? When I’m not even here half the time. It should be 50 euros at most. My son does not pay more than 30 euros for electricity in Serbia, and he uses all the appliances,“ said another interlocutor.

Some locals believe that the meters themselves are not functional.

„We know what the real price is, you know how many kilowatts you can use, and it does not amount to 400 euros.“

On the other hand, one of the interlocutor underlined:

„Considering how wasteful people are, the bills they receive are great. They crack open a window, turn on the heating… boilers are running, everything is turned on, they don’t take care… People need work, order, and discipline.“

„I don’t want to pay, even if they come and turn off my power“

And while the majority of respondents say that they did pay or will pay the lump-sum bill, some warned that they will not pay the second bill and advised other citizens not to do so.

„I don’t want to pay, so let them come and turn off my power,“ said an interlocutor of KoSSev.

„We won’t pay. If the people are smart, they should agree not to pay until everything is regulated,“ adds another citizen.

„We can also go to court“

He reminded that citizens started paying for electricity, i.e. lump sums, without first signing a contract.

„A contract must be signed first and then they have the right to charge us, without a contract they have no right to charge. And they started first with the down payment, then with the bills. Again, I find this suspicious. The moment I sign the contract, I will pay for the electricity. I do not recognize anything before signing the contract. We can also go to court,“ he says.

He added that he has a contract with EPS company Elektro Kosmet.

„I don’t have a contract with this new one, it’s not the same company,“ he said.

In a similar tone, another interlocutor of KoSSev says that the entire process related to the beginning of electricity payments is „comical“.

She also stated that first contracts with citizens should have been concluded, and then payments should have started.

„In addition to signing contracts and paying bills, it must be determined whether all meters are correct and that all citizens pay their bills, not as we have now – some received bills, some did not. I think that every citizen has a reason to refuse to pay the bill, and if necessary, even to go to court,“ she stated.