You will no longer have to pay first and complain later to have your electricity replaced.

The Congress of the Republic enacted Law 31937, which modifies Law 29571, Consumer Protection and Defense Code, and Decree Law 25844, Electrical Concessions Law, to prevent the receipt of claims made by electrical users from being conditioned on the payment of a debt by the service concessionaire companies.

The legal device, approved on November 9, also obliges electricity supply companies to keep the service active in case the debt has been paid on the same day that the power outage was scheduled.

For this purpose, Law 31937 modifies article 66 of the Consumer Protection and Defense Code, corresponding to the Guarantee of protection to users of regulated public servicesand incorporates paragraph 66.9, according to the following text:

“The user has the right to have the service cut-off order suspended, even until said procedure is executed, if he or she proves prior payment of the debt.“, says the standard.

In addition, the rule – which originally also included companies providing domestic natural gas service – modifies and incorporates a paragraph to article 82 of the Electricity Concessions Law, in the following terms:

“Every applicant, located within a distribution concession area, has the right to have the respective concessionaire supply electrical energy, prior compliance with the requirements and payments established for this purpose by this Law and the Regulations, in accordance with the technical conditions that govern In the area […] The concessionaire cannot condition the attention of the claim made by the user to prior payment of the debt.”, he concludes.

The Executive Branch, within a period of 30 calendar days from the effective date of this law, establishes the procedure and the applicable fine scale and adapts the respective sector regulations for the effective application of this law.