Power lock

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The power lock is a setting of the energy supply that the energy supplier who supplies a person, company or company with energy can use. Historically, the term refers to the occasional shutdown of the entire power supply in an area, for example due to a lack of fuel, e.g. B. during the Berlin blockade .

Electricity locks for private consumers in Germany 2011–2013

reasons

The measure of the power cut is often used for the following violations:

  • A customer is in default of payment .
  • There is an immediate danger to the safety of people or systems and this must be averted.
  • The use of electrical work is prevented by bypassing, influencing or before installing the measuring devices (meters are bypassed in order to obtain unlawful energy, electricity theft ).
  • Disruptions to other customers or disruptive repercussions on the company's facilities or third parties must be excluded.

method

There are several options available to the energy supplier to block the electricity supply:

Germany

Legal basis and requirements

In the past, this was done in accordance with Section 33 (2) of the Ordinance on General Conditions for the Supply of Electricity to Tariff Customers (AVBEltV) and today it is in accordance with Section 19 of the Basic Electricity Supply Ordinance (StromGVV).

According to § 19 StromGVV, the electricity block has four requirements in German law:

The amount in dispute in civil proceedings "for the application to tolerate the cessation of the power supply by blocking the installed measuring device" is the amount of the advance payments for the next six months.

Late payment

A block is only permitted if there is a delay in payment of at least 100 euros. An open invoice of less than 100 euros due to unpaid items is not a sufficient reason to stop the energy supply.

Proportionality

A suspension (suspension of supply) must be proportionate to the circumstances. An energy supplier is not permitted to stop deliveries if this could endanger the health of sick or weaker people (children) and a foreseeable agreement on payment of the arrears is foreseeable. This follows from Section 19 (2) sentence 2 StromGVV:

"This does not apply if the consequences of the interruption are disproportionate to the gravity of the infringement or if the customer demonstrates that there is a reasonable prospect that he will meet his obligations."

From European law there is also an obligation to choose a milder means of blocking (EG RL 2003/54 / EG):

"The member states take suitable measures to protect end customers and, in particular, ensure that there is adequate protection for customers in need of protection, including measures to avoid being excluded from supply."

Block threat, block notice, block

In all cases, however, a ban must be threatened in writing at least four weeks in advance.

The appointment must be announced again with a specific date three days before the ban.

The actual power lock, i.e. the removal of the fuse, the separation of the supply lines or the three-phase current meter, is carried out by an electrician either directly on behalf of the company or indirectly on behalf of a bailiff .

Exceptions and preventive measures

A supplier may also not stop delivering if the customer has objected to increases in the energy price and continues to only pay the old discount and is therefore in default.

If an energy supplier complains about outstanding amounts that have been paid, proof of payment by submitting an account statement is sufficient, since a person can be expected to keep receipts or account statements within this time. If the amount complained about is older than two and a half years, a threat or enforcement of the power cut is unjust.

Furthermore, in cases of hardship, if a block is to be regarded as disproportionate (see above), the block can be dealt with by means of an injunction. In urgent cases, the judge can issue such an order without first hearing the energy supplier. The application for an interim injunction must be made in writing or orally for the record of the registry of the local court.

present

For the 2011 reporting year, the Federal Network Agency carried out surveys for the first time on interruption threats, interruption orders and actual supply interruptions in accordance with Section 19 (2) StromGVV and the associated costs. The companies stated that they had threatened to block around six million customers with an average payment arrears of 120 euros. In around 1.25 million cases, supply interruptions were commissioned by the supplier, with around 312,000 being blocked by the network operator. Electricity network operators have charged the supplier with an average cost of 32 euros for a block. Recipients of unemployment benefit 2 in Germany can obtain a loan from job centers in accordance with SGB II, Section 24 to avert a power cut.

Web links

Wiktionary: Stromsperre  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Electricity Report: Development of electricity prices and the number of electricity blackouts in Germany. Accessed on February 26, 2015
  2. ↑ Section 33 of the earlier ordinance on general conditions for the supply of electricity to tariff customers
  3. ↑ Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht Hamburg, order of July 12, 2010 - 1 W 30/10
  4. ↑ http://www.strompreisvergleich24.com/informationen/stromsperre/
  5. ↑ http://www.energieverbrauch.de/de/site__2176/ When is a supply block permitted?
  6. ↑ http://www.johannafeuerhake.de/?p=Versorgungssperre#rechtswidrigkeit
  7. ↑ a b § 19 StromGVV
  8. ↑ Supply block - what to do?
  9. ↑ http://www.energieverbrauch.de/de/Energiehaben/Strom/Stromsperre/site__1164/ Application for an injunction against a power block m. Available
  10. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated December 2, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bundesnetzagentur.de
  11. ↑ No subsidies for Hartz IV recipients in the event of power cuts