The Electricité du Liban (EDL) announced that it began on Monday, November 27, 2023, "to draft records for collecting electricity consumption values from Syrian refugee camps, based on readings from approximately 900 electronic meters that were installed around a year ago in these camps across Lebanon (similar to the records that are officially drafted for electricity consumers who are not ordinary subscribers to whom bills are issued). It is worth noting that more meters will be installed in other camps that have not yet been included in the available tables. Inspection teams from the EDL, in coordination with the relevant distribution departments, are calculating the financial amounts owed for electricity consumption by each of these camps and are drafting records for their collection in each of these departments. To date, 110 records have been issued for the amounts owed by several of these camps, which are currently being collected this week, with plans to continue registering and pricing records for the remaining camps sequentially."
The statement clarified that "the measures being taken to collect electricity consumption values from Syrian refugee camps, as indicated, are also part of the implementation of the national emergency plan for the electricity sector, following the sending of several letters to the relevant authorities regarding the necessary mechanism for this purpose, based on the decisions of the institution's board of directors related to this matter, and in accordance with the decisions of the ministerial committee formed by Cabinet Decision No. 3 dated January 18, 2023, specifically item 'Fifth' of the record of the committee's meeting No. 4 dated August 21, 2023, and after holding several meetings between the EDL and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for this purpose."
It was also noted that the UNHCR informed the EDL that it allocates a financial percentage for electricity consumption as part of the overall amounts of financial assistance provided to Syrian refugees. The UNHCR issued a statement on August 29, 2023, informing these refugees about their rights and obligations regarding electricity consumption, stating that they must pay for their electricity consumption to EDL and warning them that illegally obtaining electricity and failing to settle these amounts constitutes a violation of the law with consequences, such as disconnection of electricity and incurring fines, in addition to the risks of overloading the electrical network.
Therefore, the EDL requests "Syrian refugees to cooperate with the institution's teams assigned to follow up on this matter and comply with the payment of the required financial dues for their electricity consumption, which are public funds, under the threat of disconnection of electricity for those in these camps who fail to pay, similar to what is applied in this regard to all subscribers in various Lebanese areas. Electricity is a commodity that needs to be paid for, regardless of who consumes it, as the institution incurs significant costs for its production, distribution to subscribers, and maintaining the necessary repairs and maintenance for its facilities and electrical network. This is particularly noteworthy since part of the financial assistance provided by the UNHCR is designated for settling electricity consumption amounts, as the UNHCR has informed the EDL, in light of the aforementioned statement by the UNHCR on August 29, 2023."
