Customers without power, due to a collapse in the supply system as Hurricane Leslie swept though central Portugal last weekend, can be billed for the repairs.
The law states that electricity network repair costs can be charged to consumers.
EDP’s management has assured the public that “it will do everything to prevent this from happening,” which is not the same thing as saying the company will not be charging its customers for power line repairs and the hire of emergency generators.
A clarification from EDP makes its position clearer but not unequivocal, "no impact is foreseen on electricity tariffs resulting from Hurricane Leslie. The costs arising from ongoing repairs fall within the normal expenditure of the company and are not subject to any specific legislation."
Only a few thousand homes remain without electricity after the weekend's sub-tropical hurricane brought trees crashing down onto power lines and caused pylons to buckle and collapse, leaving 300,000 homes in the dark.
Fernanda Bonifácio, head of EDP Distribution said that the company will have to repair about 100 medium and high voltage lines but is getting on wth the job.
As for compensation for customers, EDP officially may state, in its report to the regulator, that the storm was an ‘exceptional event,’ so as to avoid having to pay compensation for service interruptions.
