Management of the Hungarian Energy Office - Magyar Energia Hivatal

hungarian energy office
In 2009, following a fi ne of 50 million HUF imposed by
HEO in 2008, HEO imposed another fi ne of 60 million HUF
on E.ON Észak-Dunántúli Áramhálózati Zrt., because the
average duration of interruptions was more than 40% worse
than the national average despite the fact that HEO ignored
in its evaluation the effects of outages due to the extreme
weather conditions.
One of the most important elements of the monitoring system
established by HEO in order to detect voltage quality is the
ratio of customers supplied durably (for over 12 months) by
irregular voltage. The fi gures of this index with regard to 2008
show that the values varied according to licensees from year
to year in both size and direction. However, there are some
companies that have not had any users supplied by irregular
voltage even for several years. It is justifi ed to continue
inspections in order to be able to shape a well-founded
professional opinion.
Reliability of electricity supply
In 2008, the Electricity Act provided a possibility to HEO again
to determine minimum quality requirements and expected service
levels. These requirements and standards were calculated
on a three-year basis with a view to mitigate the effects of
extreme weather conditions. In its resolution, HEO requires
annual improvement also with regard to three expected service
level indices expressed in an annual percentage value
relative to the performance of the previous year in addition to
the minimum quality requirements on the indices serving as
a base to fi nancial incentives on service levels to be provided
by electricity distribution
licensees.
In June 2009, HEO
assessed the level of the
reliability of electricity
supply in 2008. In its
assessment available
also on HEO’s homepage,
HEO claimed
with regard to national
fi gures that one of the
internationally accepted
indices serving for the
measuring of continuity
of supply – System
Average Interruption
Frequency Index –
defi nitely improved in
2008 to 1.61 interruption/user (after 1.90 in 2007). The other
international index serving for measuring of the continuity of
supply is the System Average Interruption Duration Index.
Following an improving tendency from 2000 to 2005, this
index stagnated in 2006 and 2007, which was followed by
improvement again in 2008. The duration of interruptions per
customer was 111 minutes in 2008 (following 139 in 2007),
which matches the values of the international middle range.
The duration of interruption projected to the number of users
annual report 2009 | 28
improved in the case of each licensee in 2008. The outage index
(non-supplied energy per supplied energy), which is one
of the indices in the electricity sector that has been kept track
of for the longest time, was characterised by an improving
tendency for several years until 2005. The index worsened by
22% in total in 2006 and 2007, which was followed by a 20%
improvement in 2008.
Following a thorough analysis taking into account all
conditions of each case, HEO gave an exemption from taking
into account a part of breakdown events due to the weather
conditions beyond design conditions. To sum it up, it can be
stated that distribution licensees make large efforts to observe
the annually increasing levels determined in the resolution of
HEO. The detailed documentation of the annual evaluations
can be found on the homepage of HEO.
In 2009, HEO investigated data collections made by
distribution licensees in relation with reliability of electricity
supply, the documentation of planned and non-planned failures
and data supply to HEO. In the course of the investigation,
HEO found that licensees’ data supply is in compliance with
the provisions specifi ed in the relevant decrees.
Consumer complaints
2009 did not see any signifi cant changes in HEO’s complaint
management. The Electricity Act divided the competence
of complaint management amongst HEO and Nemzeti Fogyasztóvédelmi
Hatóság (Hungarian Authority for Consumer
Protection) on 1 January 2008. The Act failed to unambiguously
regulate the mangement
of several complaint
types, which required the
two authorities to have
frequent discussions
on competences in
2008. The amendment
of the Electricity Act
during 2009 (on 1 July
2009) ceased these
uncertainties, and both
HEO and Nemzeti Fogyasztóvédelmi
Hatóság
could unambiguously
determine their cirlce
of competence and
the borders thereof,
respectively. With a view
to ensure the relevant
knowledge required for the management of complaints of
the electricity sector, HEO provided a regular and frequent
support in the whole year to Nemzeti Fogyasztóvédelmi Hatóság.
As a result of the division of authority specifi ed by the
Electricity Act, the number of consumer notices received by
HEO in 2009 essentially remained unchanged following a
decrease of 41.35% in 2008. The number of complaints grew