According to the latest study by Reveal Marketing Research, 40% of Romanians declare that the amount of the bill for electricity or natural gas is the biggest reason for anxiety in the coming period. Romanian consumers are also much more concerned with saving, with 48% stating that they will reduce their electricity consumption. In this context, monitoring energy consumption becomes extremely important, and a simple and handy step to keep energy costs under control, adjust consumption and increase energy efficiency is to read the index yourself and send it to the supplier.

Statistics from ACUE members show that up to 30% of consumers transmit the self-read index to providers. In the absence of this index, the consumption will be estimated by the energy supplier based on the personal consumption history or the consumption convention. The consumption history is registered with the supplier and the customer can track it on the invoices paid or, if using the web/mobile applications of the suppliers, can view it in the platform used. The consumption agreement is the document signed between the customer and the supplier, by which the quantity of energy is agreed upon, based on which the supplier will invoice the consumption if the index is not read and transmitted during the period indicated by the supplier on the invoice.

Once every three months at most, representatives of the distribution operator actually read the value indicated by the meter. The difference between the amount of energy actually consumed, compared to that billed, is divided by the period for which the regularization is made and results in an average amount per month. The regularization price is the one corresponding to the period when the consumption took place, it is not the price corresponding to the time when the regularization is made.

Find details on how to read the meter depending on the type you have installed on the dedicated website www.autocitiri.ro!

In this way, through the regularization bill, the invoiced consumption is updated with the actual one, based on the reading of the index by representatives of the distribution operator. If the value of the invoice issued for an estimated consumption was lower than the actual consumption, more will be paid on the next regularization invoice. That is why it is good to have the index read monthly and transmitted online or by phone, in the interval allocated by the provider.

If the consumption was lower than the estimated value, then upon regularization the respective amount will appear with a minus on the invoice. In the case of large invoices with long-term regularizations, the suppliers can take into account the installment of the invoice payment in agreement with the customer. Although rare, there may be cases of erroneous invoices, where it is recommended to contact the supplier to verify the situation. During the verification period, payment delays are not considered and no penalties are imposed, and once the error is identified, the invoice is canceled and regularized.

At this moment, according to the regulations, for electricity customers who do not fall into the capped consumption tranches, as they had an average monthly consumption, in 2021, of more than 300 kWh, but who reduced their consumption from the year 2022 below this ceiling of 300 kWh, the suppliers will issue in February 2023 an invoice for the regularization of the previously invoiced consumption, corresponding to the period of application of GEO 27/2022. The final capped price used for the calculation of this regularization invoice will be established according to the customer’s placement in the new consumption tranche.

To avoid high regularization bills and to monitor your consumption monthly to make sure you stay within the compensated consumption cap, sending the monthly index remains the best way to pay exactly the amount of electricity or natural gas consumed.