Sudden interruptions of electric current can cause significant damage to our appliances and compromise food conservation. Fortunately, there are precise procedures to request compensation when these inconveniences occur.
When and why summer blackouts take place
During the hottest months of the year, current interruptions become more frequent due to the overload of the electrical network. The intensive use of air conditioners and other cooling systems can put the national system under stress, causing sudden blackouts that affect entire cities.
Short interruptions can also cause considerable damage: refrigerators who lose the cold chain by compromising foods, damaged routers, out of use payment terminals and many other electronic devices that stop working.
Automatic compensation according to Arera
The regulation authority for energy networks and environment (Aretra) has established specific forms of protection for consumers. When prolonged interruptions – higher than 4 hours in urban centers and over 8 hours in rural areas occur – an indemnity that appears directly on the bill is automatically disbursed.
The basic compensation starts from 30 euros, but the amount can increase according to the severity of the damage suffered and the actual duration of the blackout.
How to request compensation for damaged appliances
To obtain compensation for damage to household appliances and deterioration of food, it is necessary to follow a specific procedure:
1 The first step consists in sending a detailed complaint to the manager of the electrical network, describing with precision what happened and attaching all the documentation available: damage photographs, tests of the deterioration of food, receipts for the purchase of damaged appliances.
2. Complete documentation: It is essential to collect every evidentiary element: technical relationships that certify the failure, repair or replacement invoices, photographic documentation that clearly shows the damage suffered.
3. Indemnity for delay: If the distributor does not respond within the planned times or provides a negative response, the consumer has the right to further compensation for delay between 25 and 75 euros.
What to do if the answer does not come
In case of non -response from the distributor or refusal of compensation, it is possible to contact Arera directly to assert your rights. Authority can intervene to guarantee compliance with consumer protection rules.
In the most serious cases, when the damage is particularly consistent, a legal action can be evaluated, preferably collective if more users have undergone the same inconveniences.
Prevention and useful advice
To protect your appliances from damage caused by blackouts, it is advisable:
Consumer protection in the event of electrical interruptions is guaranteed by current legislation, but it is important to know your rights and procedures to be followed to obtain the right compensation.
