Utilities ASK ASK ASK

There have been many posts about the purchasing process.  Once you have purchased you will need to obtain utilities in your name.  This can be time consuming as EVN is a Monopoly that rolls on square wheels.  Utilities in apartment buildings are the easiest if it has previously been hooked up.  Utilities for new construction or change of usage (such as remodeling)  are a challenge.

I have been in the process with EVN now for  a little over two years to obtain 3 phase delivery to my newly built home.  I am using electricity from my neighbor's separate garden plot and pay him every month.  The process of obtaining Act 16 took several months, but nothing like then obtaining electric service. 

The actual hook up is simple however the application process requires  multiple steps and  times one must return to the EVN office.   Generally a fast connection requires  at least three trips for service and about two to three months. 

The process is    1.  Application,  2. wait for approval,  3.  engineering review and 4.  connection in your name.

There is no such thing as an appointment and most EVN offices have two or fewer employees working at a monopolistic pace.  Be sure you keep every paper you sign with your various contract numbers which are several.   After completing the entire paper process we have been waiting for Engineering to schedule an inspection for over two months.  After the inspection they will approve connection and then another wait for the crew to come and complete the process.  This is usually at least a month or 6 weeks delay.     I shared this story with a developer friend and he said "Only two years?   That's pretty good!"    A TRUE STORY!

MORAL OF THE STORY!  Ask a lot of questions about your electricity connection and the process.  Be prepared to experience a bearcat of a bureaucracy.  Be prepared to spend an entire day for each appointment, arrive early if you can.  The lines are long and when a glitch develops with the person in front of you there is no such thing as putting that aside and asking "Next?"   

ANOTHER TRUE STORY

At the last EVN application the man in front of me did not have one of the assigned numbers.  No!  EVN does not keep a record of the process under your name or address, they file each process by it's number.  I had to wait for a little over two hours while he drove home, found the item and returned to complete the application.

The clerk spent the two hours playing games on the computer while waiting for the applicant to return.  No such thing as multi-tasking or customer service at EVN.