Residents of the Autokomanda neighborhood will gather today at 17 p.m. in Kotska Square to express their dissatisfaction because without anyone informing them or asking for their consent, a change in the heat energy supplier was made. So, instead of their homes being heated by the "iron" heating system, in the future heat will be supplied by ESM Supply.

On social networks, the local population expresses fierce reactions against this kind of action by the authorities, they call on the mayor of Gazi Baba, Boban Stefkovski, to react and protect their interests. In their comments, they explain that they felt the change "on their own skin" because instead of having heating all night long, now the heating was turned off at 22 p.m. in the evening.

We froze, the heating has been much weaker these past few days. Without asking us, they disconnected us from the iron heating system and connected us to Toplana Istok, which means that now we will pay more for heating - commented a resident of Avtokomanda indignantly.

Mayor Boban Stefkovski, after the calls of the citizens addressed to him, admits that he found out that such a process was underway already at the beginning of December last year, from the letter sent to him by the citizens from the Urban Community "Autokomanda". The next day, he sent a written request to the director of AD ESM - Subsidiary "Energetica" Dalibor Bogdanovski, with which he requested a meeting to explain the situation, but as he claims, he has not received an answer until today.

 For me, the manner in which activities were carried out by the services of "Energetica" and TE-TO, without the knowledge, information and consent of the citizens who are users of hot water heating and have concluded valid contracts for the supply of thermal energy, is disputed. The municipality of Gazi Baba and I, as the mayor, do not have any direct legal authority regarding which heat energy supplier will supply the households in Autokomanda. The demands of the citizens are also my demands. And that's why you have my support in exercising your rights - says Stefkovski in his address to the residents of Autokomanda.

Today AD ESM announced their explanation of the situation. According to Aleksandra Marojevic, assistant to the director of production, from February 1 this year, in accordance with the Decision made by the Regulatory Commission for Energy and Water Services of RSM, ESM Heat Distribution performs the energy activity of heat distribution in the Autokomanda neighborhood. .

In order to optimize the costs and increase the efficiency of the two central heating systems that operate separately according to the licenses: ESM Energy and the system consisting of ESM Distribution, ESM Production and ESM Supply, the network located in the neighborhood of Autokomanda was separated from ESM Energy and its merger of the distribution network with the network managed by ESM Distribution and these two networks are now one functional entity. Pursuant to the Law on Energy, ESM heat distribution, after prior approval by the Regulatory Commission for Energy and Water Services of RSM, has concluded an agreement with ESM Heat Supply for the sale of thermal energy intended for the needs of consumers. That is why consumers from this settlement, since February 01, they are consumers of ESM Supply - said Marojevic.

In the coming period, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law, consumer data will be downloaded from the previous supplier, and consumers from the Autokomanda neighborhood will receive their heating bills for February from ESM Supply.

According to Marojevic, the invoices for households will not be increased compared to those they previously received, while business consumers and educational institutions, where billing is done by meter, will pay at lower tariff rates for thermal energy.

For the needs of Autokomanda consumers, a new branch of ESM Supply has been opened in the neighborhood of Jani Lukrovski Street, and all the necessary information is also available on the company's website, where the e-invoice form and the supply contract are also available. Notices about breakdowns in the distribution system are also posted on the website.

Marojevic explained that consumers from Autokomanda should conclude a "Heat Energy Supply Agreement" with the new supplier. The contract can be downloaded from the website of ESM Supply, filled in in two copies and delivered to one of the points.

I invite consumers for all questions related to our activity and services, as well as for reports of malfunctions and complaints about the quality of heating, to contact the Consumer Care Center on the telephone numbers 02 3076 200 and 075 400 100. For the sake of timely diversion of reported defects, it is necessary for our teams to have access to the heating stations. That's why we appeal to the communities of tenants in all facilities, including the facilities in Autokomanda, in communication with the Customer Care Center, to provide access for the maintenance teams to the heating stations in a way that suits both parties - appeals Marojevic.