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In very few cases the suspension of the electricity will be revoked, and a reduced rate of 0.5 euros/m² are only going to pay people who have disability of 80% or more, as well as people with cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, etc.

Also the establishment of three-member committees is expected (which will consist of a tax authorities official, a social worker and a policeman) which will monitor whether all conditions are in place.

Meanwhile, citizens who have found errors in the calculation of the additional tax will be able to address the municipality to correct the errors in the area, age or price of the respective residential area of the ​electrified property.

Requests for correction of errors must be filed by 20th January 2012, and if there is a difference from the original amount, it will be deducted from the tax for 2012.

It has been noted that the Prime Minister Lucas Papademos described the extraordinary property tax, in his speech before the parliament today, as a necessary measure to rehabilitate the country, stressing that he does not consider it right to cut off the electricity of citizens who are unable, for objective reasons to pay for it.

Let us remember that the elimination of this measure was requested by the Secretary of the Communist Party KKE Aleka Papariga and the President of the parliamentary group of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras.

Meanwhile, the State Council discussed today whether the imposition of property tax through the electricity bills is constitutional. The decision is expected to be issued within two months.

The complete circular letter

1. Correction of errors in the calculation of the additional tax on real estate.

The following procedure shall apply for the correction of errors that existed in the database of the grid operator on 17th September 2011, related to data on the area, price of the respective residential area and the age of the electrified real estate property based on which, the extraordinary tax has been calculated for 2011:

1) The operator of the electricity network sends electronic lists to the municipalities, including real estate properties, situated in the administrative area of ​​each municipality containing the data based on which the additional tax for 2011 is calculated.

2) Interested citizens who have found errors in the calculation of the tax should go to the respective municipality for the correction of the errors. Requests for correction of errors can be submitted until 20th January 2012. In addition, municipalities across the country verify whether in the above mentioned lists the prices of the areas provided under Art. 24 from law 2130/1993 are correctly reflected, and in case of an error they must correct it.

3) Once this procedure is completed, municipalities shall send the revised lists to the General Secretariat for Information Systems by 27th January 2012. The Secretariat checks them for the price of the respective area. In the event that an error is detected, it corrects the list, notifying the municipality.

Subsequently, by 10th February 2012 the General Secretariat shall forward the lists to the operator of the electricity network.

4) After receiving the corrected lists the electricity distribution network operator calculates the additional tax on the respective real estate property on the basis of new data, and if the amount is less than the originally estimated one which is based on data from 17th September 2011, the difference is deducted from the additional tax for 2012.

If a negative difference is calculated, the amount shall be returned by the National Electric Company or by the alternative electricity suppliers.

Then the extraordinary tax for 2011 is paid as it is calculated based on data from 17th September 2011, and any difference due to an error in the area, the price for the region or the age of the property is added or deducted from the amount for 2012.

2. Application of a reduced rate for disabled people and other vulnerable social groups and cases when the suspension of electricity is cancelled.

Α. People with different types of disability of 80% or more, eg. people suffering from cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, etc. shall be added to the list of people who are subject to reduced rate of the extraordinary tax.

In order to take advantage of a reduced rate a certificate from the relevant authorities should be presented.

The percentage of disability is certified by a note issued by the health authorities.

Β. The suspension of electricity supply is repealed in the following cases:

a) there are specific medical reasons present, that can prove that cutting the power supply would seriously endanger the life or health of the property user.

b) if the property owner, who is also its user, lives under the conditions of a social disadvantage, such as no income and property, except for the property in question, and it is considered that the payment of the tax will endanger his basic survival.

In order to determine the presence of the above conditions a three-member committee shall be formed in each tax office which will consist of a tax officer, a social worker and a policeman.

If these conditions are met, the Committee may authorize the payment of the tax in instalments.

3. Deadline for ordering the suspension of electricity supply.

In the event that the additional tax is not paid, the deadline for ordering the suspension of electricity supply by the National Electricity Company and the alternative electricity suppliers is increased from 40 to 80 days from the issuance of the bill.