§ 48a. Can the power company cut off your electricity?
Yes, the grid company (nettselskapet) can cut off the power in the event of a material breach (vesentlig mislighold). But they can never cut it off if this would endanger life and health, or if you have genuine objections to the bill. They must give four weeks' written notice.
Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська
The text of the law (unofficial translation)
The grid company may interrupt (disconnect) the transmission of electrical energy if there is a material breach (vesentlig kontraktsbrudd) on the part of the consumer (forbruker) in an agreement as mentioned in § 2 first paragraph letter d. Disconnection may nevertheless not take place if a. there is a danger to life, health or significant damage to property, or b. the consumer has objections to the grounds for the disconnection which are not obviously unfounded.
Before disconnection can take place, the grid company shall send the consumer a written notice of disconnection. The notice shall state a. that disconnection will not take place if the consumer pays within four weeks from the date the notice was sent, b. that the consumer should promptly contact the grid company if disconnection may entail a danger to life, health or significant damage to property, or if the consumer has objections to the grounds for the disconnection, c. that the consumer may be required to cover necessary costs in connection with a disconnection and any reconnection of the consumer's installation, d. that the consumer may contact the municipal social services (sosialtjenesten) in the municipality where the consumer has a permanent residence, to clarify whether the Act on social services in the labour and welfare administration gives a right to financial assistance to remedy the situation.
If, within the deadline in the second paragraph, second sentence, letter a, the municipal social services have given written notice that they assume responsibility for fulfilling the consumer's obligation, disconnection may not take place.
The grid company may require the consumer to cover necessary costs in connection with a disconnection and any reconnection of the consumer's installation. Necessary costs relating to the preparation and sending of a notice under the second paragraph may be claimed even if disconnection does not take place. The grid company cannot claim coverage of its costs under the first and second sentences if it has acted in breach of the provisions in the first to third paragraphs.
The provisions in § 45 on cancellation of the purchase (heving) in the event of breach of contract (kontraktsbrudd) on the part of the consumer do not apply. The provision in § 55 on anticipated breach of contract (forventet kontraktsbrudd) does not apply to anticipated breach of contract on the part of the consumer.
What does this mean?
Since electricity is essential to life, the power company cannot simply cut the cable. The two most important exceptions:
1. Danger to life, health or property: Medical equipment, pipes that would freeze, serious illness. Call the grid company and explain.
2. Genuine complaint: If you seriously believe the meter is running incorrectly and you have evidence, they cannot cut off the power to pressure you.
If NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) takes over the bill, the grid company is obliged to cancel the disconnection.
Example
Kari is unemployed and has not paid her electricity bills for four months. A disconnection notice (stengevarsel) arrives in November. Temperatures of minus ten degrees are forecast, and without electricity all the water pipes in the house will burst. Kari contacts the grid company and NAV. Under the first paragraph of the law, they cannot cut off the power in these circumstances.
Common mistakes
- Throwing away the disconnection notice in panic — you lose all your rights if you do not tell the grid company about the danger to health or your home
What should you do?
If you receive a disconnection notice: Go to NAV's social services the same day. If you believe the bill is wrong: Send a written complaint and refer to § 48 a first paragraph letter b.