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How to Claim Compensation from DEDDIE for Power Outage Damage

George Spyrou · Last updated June 2026

If a power outage or voltage fluctuation damaged your electrical appliances, you may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 from HEDNO/DEDDIE (the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator). This guide explains exactly how to file a claim under RAE Decision 1151A/2019 — including the documents you need, the deadlines you must meet, and what to do if your claim is rejected. This guide is based on the official RAE Decision 1151A/2019 framework and DEDDIE's published claim procedures. The most important piece of advice: act on the same day the damage occurs. Do not wait to see how bad the damage is. The 20-working-day clock starts immediately.

Who Is Eligible?

Any electricity consumer (residential or commercial) in Greece whose electrical appliances were damaged due to an accidental interruption of the neutral conductor in the low-voltage network. This covers situations such as voltage surges or drops caused by network failures — not scheduled maintenance or your own wiring issues. The type of fault matters. DEDDIE's compensation obligation is specifically triggered by the "accidental interruption of the neutral conductor" — a specific fault type that creates a dangerous voltage imbalance. When the neutral fails, one group of appliances may receive 400V instead of 230V, which instantly destroys sensitive electronics. This is the fault that burns out televisions, computers, refrigerators, and washing machines. Renters are also eligible. If you rent your home or business premises and your appliances were damaged, you are the claimant — not the property owner. The appliances belong to you, and your rights under RAE 1151A/2019 are the same as for a homeowner.

How Much Can You Claim?

The maximum compensation is €600 per incident, regardless of whether you are a residential or commercial customer. This covers repair or replacement costs of damaged appliances. HEDNO does not compensate indirect damages such as lost business revenue, penalties, spoiled food, or any other consequential losses. The €600 cap applies per incident, not per appliance. If the same power event damaged a television (€400 repair), a washing machine (€300 repair), and a laptop (€200 replacement), the total claim would be €900 — but the maximum payout is €600. This means you should prioritise documenting and claiming for your most expensive damaged items first. If you have multiple high-value appliances damaged, document all of them but focus your claim paperwork on the items with the highest repair or replacement costs.

The 20-Working-Day Deadline: Non-Negotiable

You must submit your compensation claim within 20 working days of the incident. Working days means Monday to Friday, excluding Greek public holidays. The clock starts on the day of the outage, not the day you discover the damage. This deadline is absolute. There are essentially no exceptions. Submitting on day 21 means your claim is rejected on procedural grounds, regardless of how valid the damage is. We have heard from many Outage.gr users who discovered this too late. Do not wait to see whether the appliance might start working again. Do not wait for the insurance company to review it first. Do not wait until you have gathered all your documentation perfectly. Submit what you have within the 20 days and supplement later. Practical tip: write the deadline date on a piece of paper and stick it to the damaged appliance on the day of the event. Count 20 working days forward from that date. This is your hard deadline.

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Report the outage immediately (Day 0) — Call DEDDIE at 11500 (free, 24/7) or 2111900500 and report the fault. Note the date, time, and the fault reference number they give you. Also submit a report on Outage.gr for independent timestamped documentation.
  2. Document the damage before touching anything (Day 0) — Photograph every damaged appliance, including the manufacturer label showing model and serial number. Write down make, model, and estimated purchase date. Do not attempt to repair or dispose of damaged devices.
  3. Get a certified technician's written assessment (Days 1-5) — Take damaged appliances to a licensed electrical repair workshop. Ask for a written assessment stating the nature of the damage and confirming it is consistent with overvoltage from an external source, plus a repair or replacement cost estimate.
  4. Prepare your claim documentation (Days 3-10) — Gather: (1) your written claim letter, (2) the technician's assessment and invoice, (3) a copy of your electricity bill, (4) a solemn declaration (υπεύθυνη δήλωση) that the damage was caused by a network fault, (5) photographs of the damage, (6) your DEDDIE fault report reference number.
  5. Submit the claim (Before Day 20) — Deliver documentation to your local DEDDIE service centre or send by registered post. Keep copies of everything. Once submitted, DEDDIE has 2 business days to inspect damaged appliances. Make them available.
  6. Await the decision — DEDDIE must decide within 15 working days of receiving all required documents. Payment follows within one month if approved. If rejected, you have escalation options (see below).

Tips for a Successful Claim

  • Report to DEDDIE (11500) and Outage.gr on the same day — this creates independent timestamps that are hard to dispute
  • Never repair or dispose of damaged appliances before DEDDIE's 2-business-day inspection window expires
  • Ask neighbours to report too — multiple community reports from the same area strengthen the evidence that the fault was widespread
  • Keep all receipts, purchase records, and photographs in one place
  • Use the Outage.gr Evidence section to generate a certificate showing your report's timestamp and community confirmations
  • If the workshop cannot provide a written assessment quickly, ask for a temporary letter on their letterhead describing the visible damage — this buys time while they prepare the full report
  • The solemn declaration (υπεύθυνη δήλωση) can be prepared on a standard form from KEP (Citizens' Service Centres) — no notarisation required

Common Rejection Reasons and How to Counter Them

DEDDIE rejects a significant proportion of compensation claims, often on procedural grounds that could have been avoided. The most common rejection reasons: Late submission. The most frequent reason. If you have already missed the deadline, there is nothing you can do under RAE 1151A/2019 — this is why acting on Day 0 is critical. Fault not attributed to DEDDIE's network. DEDDIE may argue that the fault was within your building's internal wiring rather than the external network. Counter this by having an electrician inspect your panel and confirm your internal wiring is sound before submitting the claim. Insufficient documentation. Missing the technician's assessment, the solemn declaration, or the electricity bill. Ensure all required documents are included. An incomplete submission will be returned for correction, consuming more of your deadline window. Appliance damage disputed. DEDDIE's assessors may disagree with your technician about the cause of damage. Having your technician specifically state in their assessment that the damage pattern is consistent with external overvoltage (rather than internal failure or age-related degradation) makes this harder to dispute.

Escalation If Your Claim Is Denied

If DEDDIE rejects your claim and you believe it is unjustified: RAEAEY (Regulatory Authority for Energy): File at raaey.gr. RAAEY mediates energy consumer disputes and can require DEDDIE to reconsider decisions. Consumer Ombudsman: The Synigoros tou Katanaloti (synigoroskatanaloti.gr) handles consumer disputes across all sectors, including energy. Their mediation is free. Civil court: For valid claims above €600 or involving clear procedural failures by DEDDIE, legal action is an option. Consider this only if the value justifies the legal costs.

How Outage.gr Helps Your Claim

Outage.gr provides three types of documentation support for compensation claims: 1. Timestamped report: Your report is recorded server-side with a precise timestamp the moment you submit it. This timestamp is independent of DEDDIE's internal records. 2. Community verification: When neighbours confirm your report with the 'Me Too' button, it creates a documented record that the outage affected multiple people in the same area — not just your property. 3. Evidence certificate: The Evidence page generates a downloadable certificate summarising your reported outages with timestamps and verification scores. While this is not an official government document, it serves as clear supporting evidence in compensation claims.

Useful Contacts

  • DEDDIE/HEDNO Fault Line: 11500 (free) or 2111900500
  • RAAEY (Energy Regulatory Authority): raaey.gr
  • Consumer Ombudsman: synigoroskatanaloti.gr