Nearly 300 Complaints Filed Over High January Electricity Bills in Southern Bulgaria

Nearly 300 complaints have been submitted to the electricity distribution company responsible for southern Bulgaria following unusually high electricity bills for January. Some customers say their latest bills are almost double those from the previous month. EVN has attributed the increase to lower temperatures and to a billing period that includes the Christmas and New Year holidays, when families typically spend more time at home.

Angel Dimitrov lives in a renovated three-bedroom flat in the Trakia district of Plovdiv. He has lodged a complaint with EVN, saying there has been no change in his household’s electricity use, yet his January bill is nearly twice as high.

“In monetary terms, it’s 235 leva — almost 100 leva more than the previous month. Last month it was 155 leva,” he said.

He added that the discrepancy was even more striking in his father’s case.

“In December it was 88 leva, and now it’s 240 leva for this month. He lives alone,” Dimitrov said.

EVN said that concerns over higher January bills arise every year at this time and that the explanation remains the same.

“This is the first month of the year with lower temperatures, and the first month after the Christmas and New Year holidays,” said Petar Kostadinov, EVN Bulgaria’s spokesperson. “This year, we should not forget that at the end of December the holidays lasted around 14 days for many people.”

The company said that any customer who has doubts about their bill can file a complaint. However, before doing so, EVN recommends comparing January’s bill not with December’s, but with January 2025.

“The only factor behind higher bills compared with December is indeed the colder weather and increased consumption,” Kostadinov added.

So far, around 300 complaints have been received from across southern Bulgaria. EVN said all of them will be reviewed.