PPC presents new corporate identity, announces discounts

Greece's public power utility announced it will waive the fixed payment (pagio) in all its customers from October 1 to December 31, offer 8 pct discounts to homes and businesses using over 2,000 KWh, provide an additional 8 pct discount off bills of vulnerable customers, and double the discount from 5 to 10 euros to e-bill customers who have done away with the paper bill.

The discounts were announced by Public Power Corporation (PPC) President and CEO Giorgos Stassis, during the presentation on Monday evening of the public utility's new corporate identity.

"Following our very encouraging economic results, we can today announce yet another package of relief measures for our clients, who are seeing their income under pressure due to the pandemic," Stassis said.

He also revealed that customer service would have a toll-free number (800-900-1000) and added that the company is "moving to large international investment agreements and partnerships, so that instead of being at the tail-end of alternative energy sources, we push green energy forward in Greece."

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that PPC "has changed its entire focus in the last 14 months – it has changed from a slow-moving company with debts, losses, stuck mentalies, threat of non-viability, into a contemporary energy power." The emergency measures he noted saved the company from collapse.

"We proved that in an open economy there are several paths to progress and that the corporate transformation of a public utility can occur under difficult circumstances […] and it can become absolutely competitive," he added.

Environment & Energy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said that PPC was a step before insolvency in 2019 but today has turned around and become profit-making again, and an example of success.

[ANA-MPA]