From August 1, the application of a new fee for reconnection of household consumers who do not pay the debt within the legal deadline will begin. The value for household consumers is 17.70 euros, while for commercial ones the re-connection value is 30 euros.

From the beginning of August, the Electricity Distribution Company (KEDS) will apply a new scheme of taxes and penalties for all those consumers who neglect to pay the electricity bill after the 15-day deadline.

This means that re-connection by KEDS teams will cost a family 17:70 euros, while a business up to 30 euros. However, some citizens interviewed by Radio Kosova say that the increased inflation of recent years will only burden the citizens' budget.

"With the current citizens' budget, these punishments harm them even more. Any increase in the citizen's bill is very harmful and unaffordable. This may make the citizens a little more aware to be ready to pay their bills, but on the other hand, it is difficult to afford, considering the prices that have increased a lot lately...".

KEDS spokesperson, Lulëzim Krasniqi, says that this measure based on the regulation of the Energy Regulatory Office is more to ensure regular payments but also professional re-connection.

"If the consumer has received an invoice in the previous month, he has a deadline for payment, but if he does not pay within that deadline, then in the second month he receives the invoice with remarks that are subject to disconnection, and which are charged with a tax," he said.

Asked by Radio Kosova about electrical misuse by consumers, spokesperson Lulëzim Krasniqi says that KEDS daily identifies an average of 25 cases of electrical misuse.

"KEDS carries out such checks daily all over Kosovo, mainly it carries out about 400 checks during the day, of which, on average, 20-25 are identified as misuse of electricity," Krasniqi said.

Misuse of electricity based on the Penal Code is defined as theft of electricity, and such cases are punished with a fine and three years in prison.