The Ombudsman addresses the Minister of Energy about a series of emergency shutdowns and prolonged repairs at "Toplofikatsiya Sofia", which have left thousands of households in the capital without hot water for days and weeks. The institution insists on an inspection of the causes, the deadlines for eliminating the problems and measures to protect customers.
According to the Ombudsman, the signals from citizens come against the backdrop of frequent leaks and accidents in the heat transmission network, which affect entire neighborhoods and create serious inconveniences for households. Among the affected areas are residential areas, where residents have been left without heating and hot water for a longer period than previously announced.
What does he want the ombudsman
According to the institution, it is necessary for the Ministry of Energy and the competent authorities to request clear information about the causes of the breakdowns, the organization of repairs and whether “Toplofikatsia Sofia“ fulfills its obligations to customers. The need for people to receive protection when the service is interrupted for a long time is also emphasized.
In previous positions, the ombudsman has already insisted on seeking responsibility for prolonged interruptions of the heat supply and considering compensation or offsetting the days without service from the consumers' bills. This approach has now been put forward as a possible measure for the affected households.
Discontent is growing due to long interruptions
The problem of the lack of hot water is not new and periodically affects different neighborhoods of Sofia in the event of breakdowns in old facilities or repairs that take longer than expected. In such cases cases, citizens file numerous complaints both to the Ombudsman and to the energy institutions.
At the moment, the main fact is that the Ombudsman has sought the intervention of the Minister of Energy because of thousands of affected households and because of suspicions of a lack of rapid response in restoring the service. The specific deadlines for individual regions and possible sanctions or compensation will become clear after the institutions' subsequent actions.
Sources: Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, BTA