The draft law on vulnerable consumers launched by the Ministry of Labor has stimulated numerous comments and proposals for improvement from energy experts. It is not clear whether these were taken into account by the authorities, as the messages sent to the ministry were not followed by invitations to dialog or mere acknowledgment of receipt.
One of the most important observations arising from the analyzes carried out by the think tank Center for the study of Democracy (CSD) and SAMER – the Romanian Society of Auditors and Energy Managers is related to a focus almost exclusively placed on the elements related to the amount of money to be allocated to the consumers in the situation energy poverty. Vulnerable consumer law must call into action all actors with the capability to identify, monitor and remedy energy vulnerability, said Andrei Ceclan, President of SAMER and George Jiglau, President of the CSD, at EnergynomicsTalks.
DOWNLOAD The contribution of the CSD to the public debate on the vulnerable consumer (in RO)
DOWNLOAD The contribution of SAMER and AAECR to the public debate on the vulnerable consumer (in RO)
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“We should understand that this law cannot solve by itself all problems at once, because we are talking about an extremely complex phenomenon. The important thing is to create a framework in which many actors have to work together in a pro-active manner,” George Jiglau said. “In many cases, we are talking about data that already exists on the invoice, at the utilities, at the city halls, and it is only about more openness and goodwill,” he also said.
Andrei Ceclan emphasized the role of local public authority – mayor and his team: “They must support vulnerable consumers, beyond collecting a package of administrative documents. There is a need for legal mechanisms to enable the digitized collection of data by the administration. I insist on the need for an energy mapping of Romania, including energy poverty and vulnerable consumers, because it will show us the reality of the phenomenon. Not to be ashamed of it, but to take it as a challenge that we can solve in the medium and long term,” president of SAMER said.