The Public Power Corporation (PPC) has issued strict orders to the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE) to step up action to cut power to customers that systematically avoid paying their electricity bills and rack up huge debts.
According to an announcement on Friday, PPC intends to tackle "strategic" debtors - who fail to pay their bills even when they are in a position to do so - as a top priority.
Based on figures collected by the relevant services, there are some 582,000 cases of debtors with unpaid bills that are over six months in arrears, with total debts amounting to 545 million euros.
There are also 895,000 cases where final bills have been issued, amounting to arrears of one billion euros. In the last two months, 30,000 requests to cut power to this category have been sent to DEDDIE.
PPC's management intends to crack down on such deliberate debtors and to regularly update public opinion on the results of its campaign. The company clarified, however, that the campaign does not affect vulnerable social groups, which are protected under the Social Residential Tariff framework.
PPC CEO Georgios Stassis said that the company intends to send a message that such behaviour will no longer be tolerated and pointed out that the phenomenon chiefly harms the millions of conscientious customers that pay their bills on time. 
"It is our duty toward the company and the overwhelming majority of consumers that, in spite of the known financial difficulties and problems, fight to keep abreast of their obligations," he said.