Turkey has amended rules to protect electricity consumers who are dependent on life support units. The rules outline processes for consumers to register with distribution companies, as well as obligations and restrictions which apply to notifying and disconnecting such consumers.
The Regulation Amending the Electricity Market Customer Services Regulation ("Amendment Regulation") was published in Official Gazette number 29863 on 26 October 2016, entering into effect on the same date.
Key changes under the Amendment Regulation include:
- Consumers dependent on electrically operated life support units (such as dialyzer, respirator and similar) can apply in writing to electricity distribution companies to register their electricity subscriptions. Applications should documents evidencing their dependency (such as a medical certificate).
- Distribution companies must inform electricity suppliers about receiving such an application within three business days.
- Distribution companies cannot cut off electricity for registered subscribers based on debts for electricity consumption. If the subscriber requests, debts can be split into installments, paid over maximum four months.
- Distribution companies must inform registered subscribers about planned and unplanned power cuts via the communication means determined by the consumer.
Please see this link for full text of the Amendment Regulation (only available in Turkish).
Information first published in the MA | Gazette, a fortnightly legal update newsletter produced by Moroğlu Arseven.
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