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Greeks Live in the Dark, Unable to Pay Electricity Bills, PPC Management Gets €3,500 “Family Allowance”

This is one example of the madness Greeks experience each and every day when they contact public services. The story was published at a website by Dimitris Messinis who was eye-witness of the struggle of a citizen to pay utilities and lives in the dark as The Public Power Company (DEH) cuts the electricity to those unable to pay. Asking to pay in installments? Impossible!

An Unknown “Humiliated” Lady
When: Monday, July 16, 2012 – 10:00 AM

Where: Local PPC (DEH) branch in Ano Glyfada, one of the middle-class suburbs, SE of Athens

Many people are standing in front of the cashiers’ desks, even more are waiting outside the offices. Offices responsible for debts regulations and electricity cuts. All people are waiting for their turn holding a priority number in their hands. At the end of the hall, the office of the  director. A dozen people are waiting patiently at the door, among them the writer of this post.

The air-conditioner is working, the hall is cooled. Outside the PPC building, the mercury targets 43 degrees Celsius… A small “hell” on earth.

The conversation posted below is authentic…

A very descent lady, aged 65-70, is waiting in front of me. She enters the director’s office and takes a seat. The director politely asks “what can I do for you?”

– “Dear Sir, the electricity has been disconnected and I do not have all the money to pay the bill. Is there any chance to make it easier for me?”

-“Just a minute to check at the pc,” the director replies and check the lady’s account on the screen. “You owe something more than 300 euro and all I can do in order to reconnect it, is that you pay 75% of the debt, that is a little more than 220 euro.”

– “Dear Sir, … I do not have the money to give it at once… can’t you make some facilitation… of three or four installments?”

-“Unfortunately, my lady, I cannot do anything better than 75%. The management does not allow me…” he replies very politely but without showing willingness for further discussion, as more people are queueing outside his door.

-“But, unfortunately, I don’t have 220 euro… Isn’t is possible I give you some of my dishes or whatever else you want from my home?” the lady whispers, “whatever needed to have electricity reconnected…?”

– “That’s not possible, my lady. Get the 220 euro and I will order the reconnection.”

She bent her head visibly humiliated and disappointed and she exited the office mumbling “Oh my God, where shall I find this money, where to borrow from?” She left speaking to herself…

I do not know what happened with the lady, because when I finished with the PPC, I had to run to the tax office.

Just think, what will happen in September when the tax office will take the baton from Public Power Company…

Dimitris Messinis

The integration of the emergency property tax to electricity bills in 2011 and the inability of many people to pay neither the Greek Public Power Company (DEH) bills nor the emergency tax, skyrocketed citizens’ debts to DEH: 1,1 billion euro in unpaid bills. No to mention the debts of the Greek state to PPC…

However this did not hinder the management of DEH to grant themselves a so-called “family allowance” of 3,500 euro per month for the high-ranking managers! 250 lower-rank managers were receiving 2,000-2,5000 euro per month.

The government immediately cancelled these outrageous allowances after it got notice of them. That was only four days ago. Greek state has a 51% stake at the PPC (DEH).

PS The father, 85, of a friend went to a local PPC office in May with a bill amounting 1,100 euro. The bill contained the emergency property tax (750 euro) and unpaid electricity (350 euro). The pensioner was unable to pay neither the one part nor the other once. He was trying to get some regulation for the tax at the tax office and some regulation (installments) for the electricity bill. At the first office of DEH the employee reduced the bill down to 660 euro (although it contained the property tax). The man went then to another office and told the employee, he wanted to pay in installments. The second employee reduced further the total amount down to 450 euro. The stunned old man returned home without a clue. Then my friend had to spend three days running from DEH to tax office back and forth trying to clear up the mess. DEH was insisting it was the electricity bill worth 1,100 euro. Which was not. 

 

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18 comments

  1. It doesn’t look as if Greek electricity costs are especially high:
    http://www.energy.eu/
    Ok, it’s cheaper in the UK, but the Brits have a) privatized power companies and b) aren’t part of the Eurozone. Greece should simply follow their example.

    • keeptalkinggreece

      unionists want to keep their high status quo.

      • That’s why Thatcher cut them down to size. Imho she overdid it quite a bit, though.

        • keeptalkinggreece

          at the very end drastic and radical solution are applied.

          • Indeed. The longer a problem is left unsolved, the more likely it becomes that a radical solution will be applied (often a counterproductive overkill).

  2. Such a sad and sorry situation it must be recognized that you simply cannot get blood out of a stone. All incomes and pensions are reduced many struggling to buy food and so many people are in distress. For the first time in their lives people are finding themselves in debt.These proud people are now being forced to beg and plead for clemency they are NOT asking for reductions or discount but simply extended time to pay…..and the total irony is they they are being required to foot the bill incurred not by them but by those who are corrupt including the banks and their bailout which in itself is based on greed and corruption.

    • keeptalkinggreece

      so it is, Molly.

    • You underestimate the pure pigheadedness of Protestant Germans. They actually do believe in squeezing blood out of stones, as well as the medieval practice of bloodletting to cure patients.

      Do not make the mistake of thinking that what is going on in Europe is rational, because it is not. These people will destroy everything, unless they are stopped.

      • In Greece there IS blood in stones. Or do you want to say that the Germans are also responsible for those ONE IN TWENTY retired doctors, dentists, vets and pharmacists that are in receipt of a pension of over 6,000 euros a month (SIX THOUSAND!)and DON’T made a tax return???!!
        And that at the ETAA-fund a further 12 percent of pensioners under declare the value of their pension? And that the percentage of ETAA pensioners (11.3 percent) claiming some form of disability percent was above the average of 7.7 percent? http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/57014
        Who cares! Just blame the Germans!
        I only agree with “These people will destroy everything, unless they are stopped”. And again, I am not talking about your Germans.

        • When you talk of doctors and others, then you are not talking of stones. You are talking about a middle class that was and remains linked with the political class.

          I am talking of ordinary people on very low wages, many now unemployed; I am talking of the old people on pensions of 300 euros a month for two. I am talking about the great majority of Greeks.

          So, carry on repeating the lies and propaganda of the Germans. One day, justice will be served and you and your ilk will go on trial. It is tantamount to accusing an innocent person of committing a serious crime, with no evidence, no reason other than gossip. That is the level you and the Germans have sunk to. Just as they believed that Jews and Roma and other misfits were not human, did not deserve to live. We have gone through German shit enough times to know the smell of it.

          • keeptalkinggreece

            this “others” is quite a big number, my dear. Reading about the ‘ef-apax’ issue’ (sorry I miss the Engl word for it right now) all social funds (civil servants,DEKO, etc) – except the IKA – have been giving 80% higher ef apax than the employees’ contributions. How much money was generously spent for decades? No body knows. This is not propaganda, this is Greek reality. You can’t deny the insane overspending.

      • Just for the record, Xenos, I’m catholic.
        😛

  3. Bloodletting cures some diseases, you just need to pick your patients very carefully. It’s very good for pigheadedness…

    • Well, the way things are going now, the whole of Europe is likely to turn into a bloodbath because of the ignorant and arrogant Germans. Everywhere, the far right parties are rapidly gaining support (even in the UK and Sweden) and probably when the idiot socialists in France screw up, the Front National will have a chance of governing. Europe is set for political mayhem, with the return of Communist and Fascist parties and probably war.

      Thank you, Germany, for fucking up Europe a third time in 100 years. You can feel proud to be such assholes.

      • keeptalkinggreece

        cool down! it’s getting out of control.

      • If you seriously fear armageddon is right around the corner, pls be consequential and commit suicide, Xenos. But stop annoying us when we try to enjoy our last days on earth.
        😛

    • Since many Greeks seem to suffer under high blood pressure, some bloodletting may be a good idea. Indeed, why not apply medieval cures to people who are hundreds of years behind the curve?
      🙂
      Ok, I know that sounds mean, but I couldn’t help it, a sudden rush of sarcasm overwhelmed me. Don’t take it at face value, pls.

  4. Too hot for a revolution?