Energy Minister announces benefit entry to streamline change of residential gas company
A milestone that encourages competition in the distribution of residential gas began after the entry into force of the procedure that establishes the right of customers of natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas supplied with tanks in buildings, condominiums and private homes to change companies distributor.
This was announced by the Minister of Energy, Susana Jiménez, who reported that residential gas customers will have more flexibility to choose the company providing gas services, within the framework of Law No. 20,999.
The Secretary of State stressed that the distribution companies must provide all the necessary information contained in the regulatory standard to make such a change, and that they must ensure that the modification of the company does not affect the quality of the service or the security conditions for people or things. .
Minister Jiménez added that “the gas distribution companies will not be able to agree with the customers with residential gas service clauses that hinder or hinder the end of the gas service contract, nor clauses of exclusivity or minimum permanence that exceed the term of two years , counted from the start of supply, or five years for new real estate projects or in the case of conversions from one type of gas to another. ”
In addition, customers may freely terminate any existing gas service contract if it is older than February 9, 2012. Contracts entered into between February 9, 2012 and February 9, 2017 will maintain exclusivity or stay only for the period remaining to complete the five years, or for the shorter period that had been agreed.
Customers can make the request to change companies in the public service branches, on the websites of the new gas distribution company, or in person before a representative of the company in the field.
Likewise, customers may change from a liquefied gas company supplied by tank to another liquefied gas company; or from a natural gas company to a liquefied gas company or a liquefied gas company to a natural gas company.
For the particular case of buildings and condominiums, the existing distribution company can not refuse to make the change of distribution company invoking the existence of non-performing obligations of some or some of the customers.
Gas company change procedure
The process of change of gas company for condominiums, buildings or private homes starts with a “request for change” by the client before the new gas distribution company, through a “change request form” that must be available at the branches of public attention, or on the websites of the new gas distribution company.
The new distribution company must provide the interested client with a copy of the change request as a backup.
Within the next 15 business days, the pre-existing and incoming companies will exchange information about the infrastructure. At the end of that period, the incoming company will inform the applicant in writing about the rejection or acceptance of their change request. The incoming company may choose to use part or all of the infrastructure that the outgoing company had installed on the client’s land, the latter must be transferred, if required by the incoming company, this will significantly facilitate the change of supplier.
If the new company accepts the change request, it will notify the client and the pre-existing company, in no more than five business days of the schedule of activities to execute the change of distribution company, works that should cause the least inconvenience to the client and will not be able to interrupt, when executing the works of change, the supply of gas for more than 48 hours. This execution of activities to make the change of distribution company must not exceed the term of 20 working days, except in the case of connection to natural gas concessionaires, which may be extended by way of permits.
The new gas company must leave a true record of the activities carried out during the execution of works, delivering a copy of this to the pre-existing company and the client.
Claims that may arise in this process should be directed to the SEC.
This procedure of change of distribution company does not apply to changes of liquefied gas cylinder of 45, 15, 11, 5 and 2 kilograms.