Utilities in Armenia have taken different approaches when it comes to customers paying their bills during the ongoing coronavirus emergency.

Due to the state of emergency declared last week, scores of workplaces have closed in Armenia. Many employees have complained that employers are refusing to pay their salaries, arguing that with no money coming in they can’t.

People are posting on social networks that the government should negotiate a utility payment postponement with the utility companies.

Hetq has contacted Armenia’s main utilities to see what their payment policies are.

Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA)

ENA spokesperson Natalya Saranjyan told Hetq that today is the last day for customers to pay their February bill. 

Saranjyan added that ENA has no plans to cut power to nonpayers and that the payment deadline has been extended indefinitely.

Veolia Water CJSC

Veolia Water CJSC, which manages all water and wastewater systems in Armenia, said it sees no reason to change the established order of payments for services rendered.

“The problem is that the current tariff mainly covers the costs of operating the system (repair, construction, maintenance, etc.) and the salaries of about 3,000 employees. There are no extra funds,” Veolia responded, adding that the company’s profit margin was already low and that deferring payments would simply endanger water supply to its customers.

The company says it is ready to work with customers on an “individual basis” who have been told to stay at home or are facing work related financial difficulties.

Veolia Water stressed that unlike other public service companies, it has never cut services to customers over payment issues.

"In these troubled days, when water consumption has increased substantially and many are asking us to provide water around the clock, any cuts are unacceptable," the company said.

Gazprom Armenia CJSC

Gazprom Armenia says it cannot grant any payment deferrals to cover the cost of supplied natural gas.

In response to our written inquiry, Gazprom Armenia cited a 2005 decision by the Public Services Regulatory Commission stating that residents must pay for gas consumed in the prior month within 7 days after publication of the bill (quantity and tariff rate).

Gazprom Armenia says that since the law does not provide any other clearances, the company has decided not to grant any itself.

Photos by Narek Alexanyan, Anush Kocharyan