Electricity consumption in Serbia decreases 5% to 7% due to coronavirus

Electricity consumption in Serbia is 5% to 7% lower than in the same period last year, probably because the economy operates with reduced capacity, said Milorad Grčić, acting director of state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS).

According to Grčić, household consumption does not have a major impact on the increase or decrease of consumption, while economy is the main indicator.

The 5-7% decrease is not terrible. It shows the economy is still working, Grčić added, as reported by news agency Tanjug.

There are no EPS employees infected with coronavirus

Grčić said electricity production in Serbia is stable and that there are no EPS employees infected with the coronavirus.

Out of 30,000 employees, about 9,000 are not coming to work

He asserted all employees got face masks, while that safety gloves were only available for those in positions that have priority because supplies are insufficient.

They are intended for sections of production with employees that nearly irreplaceable, Grčić added.

There are not enough safety gloves, so they are delivered according to priority

He said the number of employees coming to work has been lowered by almost 9,000. EPS has more than 30,000 workers.

Some workers are using vacation. Others work from home, but the company operates smoothly, he said.

Some energy companies in the region have introduced fourteen-day shifts to prevent employees from becoming infected and ensure the stable operation of power systems.

For more than two weeks, the region’s electricity systems have been in crisis mode due to the coronavirus.