Last Tuesday (20), Deputy Domingos Neto (PL) presented Bill 320/2024 which aims to fine energy distributors in the event of interruptions in the service provided to the population.
The proposal presented by the parliamentarian seeks to solve the problems caused by electricity outages that have caused losses to consumers in Brazil, and especially in the state of Ceará, which has had frequent outages since New Year's Eve, and which was repeated during Carnival.
“The lack of electricity has caused substantial damage to s, from irreparable losses in homes and businesses to compromising tourism and leisure, as happened with New Year's Eve parties and during Carnival in Ceará,” said Domingos. In some cases, outages lasted up to 34 hours.
The project seeks to change the current legislation on electricity in Brazil, Law No. 9.427, of December 26, 1996, which regulates the ANEEL (National Agency) and the concession regime for public electricity services.
One of the main changes in the law would be to fine distributors when the limits of service quality indicators provided by the company are exceeded. ANEEL or when the interruption of supply exceeds 24 hours.
The bill proposes compensation for fines for consumers, allowing credits on the energy bill or payment in cash, within three months after assessment.
According to the deputy, even with regulations from ANEEL regarding compensation for electrical damage, it is necessary to strengthen legislation to guarantee the effective provision of electrical energy services, especially in view of high energy tariffs.
For Domingos, it is important to give the regulatory agency adequate mechanisms to suppress incidents that are harmful to essential services, expanding consumer protection.
“The approval of this project is crucial to improving the quality of electricity services in the country, ensuring that distributors fulfill their duties and consumers are duly compensated for supply failures”, highlights Domingos Neto.
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