Your Consumer Rights During a Utility Outage in Greece

Greek law provides residents with meaningful protections when utility services fail. These rights are not widely understood — in our experience at Outage.gr, most residents who qualify for compensation for outage-related appliance damage never claim it, and most who experience repeated reliability failures never file the formal complaints that might prompt infrastructure investment.

This guide provides a practical overview of your rights as a Greek utility consumer.

Power Outages: Your Rights Under Greek Energy Law

The compensation right. Under RAE (Regulatory Authority for Energy) Decision 1151A/2019, residential and commercial electricity consumers whose appliances are damaged due to an accidental interruption of the neutral conductor in DEDDIE's low-voltage network are entitled to compensation of up to €600 per incident. This covers repair or replacement costs for damaged appliances. It does not cover indirect losses (spoiled food, lost business revenue) or damage from scheduled outages.

The key procedural requirement: you must file your claim within 20 working days of the incident. See our detailed compensation guide for the complete process.

The service quality right. DEDDIE is bound by network quality standards set by RAAEY. These include targets for restoration time, outage frequency per customer per year, and interruption duration. Customers who experience persistent reliability failures — multiple outages per year or repeated extended interruptions — can file complaints with RAAEY.

The scheduled outage notification right. When DEDDIE plans to interrupt your supply for maintenance, you are entitled to advance notice. The required notice period varies by outage scope and duration. If DEDDIE conducts a scheduled outage without adequate notice, or significantly overruns the announced restoration time without communication, you have grounds for a complaint.

The medically dependent customer right. If you or a household member depends on electrically powered medical equipment, you are entitled to register this with DEDDIE. Registered medically dependent customers receive priority restoration and direct advance notice of scheduled outages.

Water Supply: Your Rights

EYDAP and EYATH service standards. Both EYDAP (Athens/Attica) and EYATH (Thessaloniki) are regulated utilities with published service standards. Extended supply interruptions, repeated short-duration disruptions, or supply that fails to meet quality standards (pressure, clarity) may entitle affected customers to bill adjustments or credits.

Local DEYA standards. DEYAs (municipal water utilities serving areas outside Athens and Thessaloniki) are regulated by municipal and regional authorities rather than a national regulator. Standards and complaint procedures vary. Contact your municipal council or local consumer protection office for guidance.

Health-based rights. If a water supply disruption poses health risks (no water for more than 24 hours, supply contaminated, etc.), local authorities and water utilities are legally required to take measures to protect public health — providing alternative water supply by tanker, establishing distribution points, or issuing public health guidance.

Documentation for complaints. Record every significant water supply disruption on Outage.gr. Timestamped community reports, combined with your own written records of disruption dates and durations, provide the documentation base for formal complaints.

Internet Services: Your Rights Under EU Consumer Law

Internet service rights in Greece are governed by both national law and EU consumer protection regulations, including the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC).

The right to a service level agreement. Your internet contract must specify minimum service quality guarantees — typically including minimum download speed, maximum outage duration, and how they handle service failures. Read your contract carefully. If your provider consistently fails to deliver the promised speeds or uptime, you may be entitled to price reductions or contract termination without penalty.

The right to compensation for service failures. If your internet service is interrupted for a significant period and your provider fails to restore it within the timeframe promised in your contract (or, where no timeframe is promised, within a reasonable period), you may be entitled to a bill credit or compensation.

The right to switch providers. EU law gives internet consumers the right to switch providers at the end of their contract term without penalty. If your provider has persistent reliability issues, switching is a real option.

Reporting to EETT. The Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) is the national regulator for electronic communications. If your ISP fails to respond to your complaints or resolve your service quality issues, EETT's consumer complaint service (eett.gr) provides a formal escalation path.

Escalation Paths When Complaints Fail

If a utility operator does not respond to your complaint or rejects it without satisfactory justification:

RAAEY (energy sector): File a complaint at raaey.gr. RAAEY mediates energy consumer disputes and can require utilities to reconsider decisions.

EETT (internet/telecommunications): File at eett.gr for ISP complaints.

Consumer Ombudsman: The Synigoros tou Katanaloti (synigoroskatanaloti.gr) handles consumer disputes across all sectors, including utilities. This is often the most accessible escalation path for residents unfamiliar with sector-specific regulators.

Local government: For DEYA water utility complaints, the relevant municipal council or regional authority has oversight responsibility.

Legal action: For significant unresolved disputes, civil court action remains an option. For power outage appliance damage claims above €600, or for multiple incidents, legal action may be economically justified.

How Outage.gr Helps Build Your Case

Community reports on Outage.gr provide timestamped, independently verified documentation of outage events. When you report an outage and neighbours confirm it, the resulting record — showing the time the outage started, how many people were affected in your area, and when it was resolved — strengthens any formal complaint or compensation claim you file.

The Evidence section of Outage.gr allows you to generate a certificate summarising your outage history. While not an official document, it provides supporting material that can be included with formal complaints to RAAEY, EETT, or the Consumer Ombudsman.