HEP should also inform small consumers about power outages

When power is cut off in certain areas due to maintenance, HEP informs each large consumer in advance individually. Small consumers are only informed through the media, and they cannot catch every piece of information.

Reader Mila Marina Burger, co-owner of the design studio Fiktiv from Zagreb, contacted us with the issue of power outages in the neighborhood where her company is located. Several times, HEP has cut off power to all users on Bauer Street without notifying any of the users in advance.

The reader explains that her studio, among other things, works with foreign clients who are in different time zones. She emphasizes that their business partners are ‘very demanding and expect prompt responses and solutions,’ and the recent power outages (twice) have created problems for them.

They are not large.

During those days, Fiktiv was working for a demanding foreign client who insisted on meeting deadlines, which shows that power outages can indeed put companies in an uncomfortable situation.

− As we learned from the info line, they posted some notices, but we did not see them in our building. We have eight employees, and you can imagine how harmful the situation is when people come to work, and everyone is working on computers. Not to mention when it comes to client relations. You are chasing a deadline, and there is no power or heating in the office – says Burger.

That is why we sought a response from HEP. We were interested in why companies in that Zagreb neighborhood were not informed in advance that the power would be cut off. HEP states:

− The company Fiktiv does not belong to the category of customers who have the right to direct notification about planned interruptions in the supply of electricity lasting longer than three minutes, as this obligation applies only to customers with a connection power greater than 20 kilowatts. Furthermore, at the specified address, the electricity customer is not the company Fiktiv.

Thus, it is likely that it is a rented space and new electricity consumers (i.e., Fiktiv) are not even registered, so the bills are sent in the name of the property owner. Nevertheless, we were curious whether consumers could be notified in advance. HEP emphasizes that this is not possible according to the General Terms and Conditions for using the network and electricity supply (NN 15/2015) for consumers requiring a connection power of less than 20 kilowatts. Large consumers are notified individually 48 hours before a power outage, via phone, fax, or email.

− Other users are informed through the media at least 24 hours before the interruption – HEP emphasizes.

Small consumers are important too.

Considering that these are small and medium-sized enterprises, Burger reminds that they should be the backbone of the economy. She highlights the creative and IT industries, as both have been included this year as horizontal sectors in the Smart Specialization Strategy and employ a significant number of people. Therefore, she believes that notifying large consumers is outdated in the technological age where we have companies using the latest technology as a tool. In other words, she says, companies that employ five people are also important.

HEP has undoubtedly acted in accordance with regulations. However, we suggest that entrepreneurs, as well as citizens and HEP, engage in a discussion about amending regulations to obligate HEP to inform all companies and households about future power outages. For example, why not create a program that automatically sends an email to everyone who wants to be informed when power is cut off in a neighborhood? Or find some other solution. Therefore, the idea of informing everyone is not bad, and it would be good to start looking for a solution.