The Government is empowering the national water regulator to issue fines to companies that cut customers’ supply for no good reason or without notice.
Water and wastewater treatment companies and solid waste collection companies, can face penalties if they issue excessive charges or cut services without notice.
The Government is endowing the Regulatory Entity for Water and Waste Services (ERSAR) with the power to issue fines, a change from its currently toothless role of issuing non-binding opinions and recommendations, which seem generally to be ignored.
"It is a tool for ERSAR to better exercise its powers of independent authority and arbitration in a sector that has to meet equal and high efficiency levels of public service," said Carlos Martins, Secretary of State for the Environment.
Last year, ERSAR received 4,975 complaints about these suppliers and Deco registered 2,178 complaints: the online Complaints Portal accounted for a further 656 complaints.
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