A monstrous bill of 10 billion: it is that of the local authorities who see their bills triple due to arrears and recovery costs.
Assium, the association of utility managers and Consumerismo are raising the alarm on the situation of local authorities' utilities.
"Street lights off, streets and squares in the dark, cold schools, hospitals without air conditioning, senior centers without heating, are not episodes from developing countries but happen daily in Italy and often due to the lack of skills in local authorities who know how to manage supplies in an adequate manner and technically up to the suppliers".
According to the estimates reported in the 2023 annual report of Arera (Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment), the overall debt of the public administration towards electricity and gas suppliers amounted to 6.4 billion euros at the end of 2022. This figure includes a significant debt relating to invoices overdue for more than 90 days, with the Regions, local authorities, Public Health and Universities among the main responsible parties.
However, it is important to note that these figures may be an underestimate.
An investigation conducted in 2023 by the Court of Auditors suggested that the actual debt could exceed 10 billion euros".
"We believe that it is essential to invest in the training of public administration staff.
- the associations write - The introduction of specialized figures, such as Utility Managers, within local authorities could provide specific skills to manage the issue of utilities more efficiently, allowing for better consultancy and support for administrative decisions".
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