It is no secret that the electricity grid in our country needs modernization. Every time there is a power outage or a settlement remains without electricity for a longer period of time, we are reminded of this fact. However, the ERM “West“ is working hard to renew the electricity grid and facilities, which in some places are over 40 years old, and some of the oldest medium-voltage routes have been operated for over 60 years. Some of these routes have been renovated.
“A completely new network has not been built in the last 25 years. Nearly 60 out of a total of 220 power lines need urgent repair“, admits Radoslav Tsvetkov, executive director of ERM “Zapad“. Nearly 1 billion leva is needed for this purpose.
The work will continue in 2026, informs the company, which emphasizes the need for sustainable investments that guarantee a higher quality and reliable electricity supply for consumers.
Investments
The investments approved by KERV for 2025 and 2026 actually exceed those that are being invested. This year KERV has approved a little over 117 million in investments, but the ones planned by ERM “Zapad“ are worth over 175 million leva. For next year, the picture is no different – approved by the KEVR nearly 120 million leva, and planned 170 million leva. The funds are planned to be spent on modernizing and expanding the scope of the electricity distribution network.
Smart electricity meters
This is among the investments that have a direct impact on customers. This year, the replacement of old appliances with new smart ones began. The process will continue until 2030, when 2.3 million subscribers in western Bulgaria must switch to smart electricity metering.
This is the largest project in the history of ERM “West“. Smart electricity meters measure electricity consumption every 15 minutes, paying for the data remotely. This helps operators monitor in real time for unusual load or drop in the network, increasing losses or attempts at manipulation.
The goal of smart meters is for customers to be able to monitor electricity consumption and know the bill they will pay at the end of the month through an application. Unfortunately, this is currently impossible. ERM Zapad“ has submitted a public procurement to connect the smart meter to each customer's smartphone.
At the moment, the advantages of smart meters are being used by the electricity distribution company. They are proving to be an excellent tool against unauthorized connection. From January to October of the current year, 988 cases of theft were identified. Of these, 797 were household and 191 were from business customers. In order to avoid theft, one of the first measures the company has taken is “replacing depreciated meters. "It cost between 20 and 25 million leva," says Viktor Stanchev, a member of the board of ERM "Zapad". He also shares some curious cases of electricity theft. Among them is a crypto farm in Kyustendil. The bill it made in just two months is 1.3 million leva. Another case is with an address in Petrich. There, an illegal distillery consumes 150-200 kWh per hour. Unfortunately, in both cases it turns out that these are phantom companies and the bills are never paid, and the funds go into the "losses" column. for the company.
The benefits of modernizing the network and replacing electricity meters are most evident in Roma neighborhoods. The collection rate of bills there is already 99%. However, this is also due to another factor - energy assistance programs. Because of it, many households are starting to heat themselves with air conditioners. However, the buildings are in poor condition, there is no good insulation and this leads to overconsumption. “Our investments there are more than in other neighborhoods“, reports Tsvetkov.
Accidents
Every year before the winter season, teams from ERM "Zapad" patrol the routes through which the company's power lines pass, cleaning up gaps and using thermal imaging equipment to inspect the power lines. Blanks are of key importance for preventing accidents. Nearly 90% of the causes of the outages were fallen trees. “When a tree falls, our engineers have to do actions that are unusual for them - to cut, clear, repair roads in order to reach the power lines. "They often need 5 days to clear access to places like Breznik," admits Tsvetkov.
The company has allocated nearly 1 million leva for the maintenance of the clearings. The next two-year program provides for another 8.5 million leva.
Administrative obstacles are among the main stumbling blocks in eliminating accidents. In some cases, it comes down to Paragraph 22 - they fine us if we cut down a tree, and they fine us again if we don't cut it down and it falls on the wires. Municipalities often plant trees and bushes that enter the power lines and create a risk of accidents.
Safety
Recently, incidents with young people in the area of power lines have become more frequent. The company is trying to explain to young people how dangerous it is to climb electric poles and take selfies. “Life is worth more than likes“ is the campaign that aims to protect young people from burns and fatal accidents. The cause of ERM “West“ will be distributed by well-known influencers and large institutions.
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