Problems in the Electricity Sector

-Hicran TİRYAKİOĞLU, Ahmet Samet ÖZDEMİR, Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Yelda KARATEPE MUMCU* *Marmara University Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Electricity and Energy SUMMARY The fact that electrical energy is in the compulsory need class and the need for energy is increasing day by day causes the demand for energy to increase. And as a natural consequence of this increase, it brings with it many problems. Various studies have been carried out in the world and in Turkey for the solutions of these problems and continue to be carried out. In this study, it is emphasized that the studies and suggestions made for some of the current problems are addressed as well as the problems that do not yet have a solution or that there is no study on the solution.

Since energy is the most important input of the socio-economic development of countries, it is a basic condition that residential, agricultural and industrial consumers can use this need uninterruptedly, in a quality, reliable, timely, cheap, efficient, low-cost and clean manner.And it is the responsibility of those who have a say in energy and country management to meet this basic condition.

Considering the opportunities it provides in the provision of education, health, transportation and infrastructure services, in increasing productivity in production and in meeting social needs such as nutrition, heating and housing, it is better understood why energy is considered as one of the most important inputs of social progress and economic growth.

With the increasing population in the world, urbanization and industrialization phenomena, increasing trade opportunities as a result of globalization, energy and natural resources cause the demand for energy and natural resources to increase gradually. In terms of ease of use, comfort and quality, electrical energy surpasses other types of energy.

The main problem of the electricity sector in Turkey is the high rate of external dependence on primary fuels (about 70%) and the heavy external payment obligation that has to be undertaken due to this dependency. In order to reduce foreign dependency within the framework of the "Medium Term Program" covering the years 2018-2020 prepared by the Ministry of Development and adopted by the Council of Ministers:

- The share of renewable energy sources in energy production will be increased.

- The Renewable Energy Resource Areas (YEKA) application, which will reduce foreign dependency on the equipment used in renewable energy investments, will continue.

- Oil, natural gas, shale gas and coal exploration will be increased to increase our domestic resource reserves.

- Domestic lignite will continue to be used in harmony with the environment.

- A program for more efficient use of energy in the transport, industrial and residential sectors will be initiated.

- Efficiency-increasing measures will be taken in public electricity generation plants, electricity transmission and distribution networks.

In order to solve some problems, some reform and liberalization studies were carried out in the electricity sector in Turkey after 2001 and these studies started primarily from the distribution sector. As the main pillars of privatization in this sector:

- The fact that the service can be provided more efficiently than the public, - The investments that need to be made every year constitute a heavy burden for the state budget, - The inability to make the necessary investments in the distribution facilities due to this burden in the budget and the frequent power cuts accordingly, - The existing high rate of loss-leakage problem, - The quality problems in the execution of the services come to the forefront.

• High Rate of Loss-Leakage Problem in the Distribution Sector:

One of the foremost objectives of the privatization of the sector is to solve the loss-leakage problem – excluding technical losses. Before the privatization process, the loss-leakage ratio in the distribution sector was up to 21%, almost tripling the OECD, which averaged 7-8%. And especially in our eastern regions, it has reached up to 64% levels, causing the inefficiency of the distribution sector and placing a heavy burden on consumers and the state. The fact that this problem cannot be solved has brought to the agenda that it is possible to reach a solution in Turkey as in many other countries through privatization. The 2012 electricity loss-leakage average has fallen to 14% from 21% a decade ago. With the inference to be made from here, it can be said that the aim of solving the loss-leakage problem in this sector through privatization can be realized with the prediction that the loss-leakage ratio will decrease in the long term.

• The Problem of Frequent Power Outages:

In the event that the limit values are exceeded in the interruptions made without notice in accordance with the paragraph 1 of Article 16 of the Service Quality Regulation on Electricity Distribution and Retail Sales, the distribution company is obliged to pay compensation to the user without the need to apply within the framework of the principles set out in the said article. In addition to the annual compensation execution under paragraph 11 of the same article, as seen in Table 1, in the case of deductions exceeding 12 hours with or without notice; It is stipulated that each of the users affected by the interruption will be paid long-term interruption compensation by the distribution company and that the compensation payments within this scope will be made within the scope of commercial quality compensations. Table 1. EMRA, Service Quality Regulation on Electricity Distribution and Retail Sales, Table-9 Threshold Downtime and Numbers

THRESHOLD NAME	INTERRUPTION CLASS	FOR USERS WITHIN THE ZONING AREA		FOR USERS OUTSIDE THE ZONING AREA
		AG	MV	AG	MV
ESURE (Hours)	No notification	48	24	72	36
ESAYI (Times)		56	56	72	72
ESURE (Hours)	Declaratively	24	16	32	24
ESAYI (Times)		6	4	8	6

• Quality Problems in the Execution of Services:

The distribution company is responsible for the quality of the service provided to users in the region designated within the distribution license, while the incumbent supply company is responsible for the commercial quality of the retail sales activity. In accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 6 of the Regulation on Service Quality for Electricity Distribution and Retail Sales, the technical quality and continuity of supply of electrical energy shall be measured and recorded by the distribution company in accordance with the relevant standards, the aspects of commercial quality shall be recorded by the supplier company and the distribution company in charge and the distribution company shall be registered as a result of these indicators. It is stipulated that all data and processes that will be the basis for determining the performance and all other relevant documents and information will be audited and/or audited by the institutions and organizations holding the audit authority.

• Occupational Health and Safety Problem in Electricity Distribution Sector:

According to the Final Declaration of the Symposium presented at the Occupational Health and Safety in the Electricity Distribution Sector Congress 2018, organized by ELDER for the second time: - Local grounding is a very critical and vital issue in terms of occupational health and safety. Local grounding techniques should be explained to the employees not only in a dictatorial manner as "do local grounding" but also what negative consequences they will cause if they are not done and should be conveyed in a striking way supported by videos / pictures. - When selecting local grounding apparatus, sectional calculations should be calculated with scientific data, both the grounding apparatus and the istanka should comply with international standards (EN 61230 and other relevant standards specified in that standard) and this situation should be certified. - Companies should also provide grounding apparatus with the international standards mentioned above. - Due to the lack of clear regulations on working at height trainings in Turkey, companies provide training according to the criteria they determine. - In order to create an OHS culture in our sector, companies or institutions should address this issue more systematically and in accordance with international approaches and prepare long-term road maps. - Managers and operational units should know and feel that they have a responsibility that OHS cannot delegate. In this sense, managers should be good OHS Leaders. - OHS culture is not a phenomenon that should be established only in blue-collar (doing the job themselves) employees. "Manager-engineer-procurement-investment-project-human resources" is a phenomenon that should be established at all levels of the company/organization. - When employees who do not comply with OHS rules are detected or an accident occurs, employees should not act with an understanding that blames employees, but with an approach that embraces the problem, goes to the root causes and tries to solve the problem. - Employees should also make more efforts to internalize OHS rules, should be in an understanding that warns their teammates when they see a nonconformity in terms of OHS and should contribute positively to the OHS culture to be created in the company. - In order to improve the OHS culture, company managers should have annual targets related to OHS and action plans to achieve these goals. - In order to establish the OHS culture, managers and engineers should carry out OHS inspections in the field at certain intervals and should be role models for their employees in the use of personal protective equipment such as protective shoes, helmets, etc. and in obeying traffic rules such as wearing seat belts in the vehicle and paying attention to speed limits. - The management of contractors or subcontractors in terms of OHS is a very important part of the OHS culture. However, disciplining them in terms of OHS is a much more difficult and more demanding task. In order to do this, all distribution companies, TEİAŞ and EÜAŞ, should impose similar obligations on their contractors in terms of OHS and take control of the site with an effective inspection mechanism. - OHS awareness should be created before employees enter the professional life. For this purpose, OHS awareness should be given to engineers in vocational high schools and universities. Curriculums should be revised accordingly. PROBLEMS EXPECTED TO BE SOLVED BY THE   SECTOR The problems created by the increasing need for energy with the developing technology and urbanization will be examined in 3 sections: Supply, Distribution and Production:

1. Problems in Procurement Service

- Since the public equivalent of the definition of electricity service is "Invoice is sent and the consumer pays this bill", the quality of service has fallen far behind. It is no longer possible to get a service with this understanding. When privatizations were made, the general understanding was that electricity subscribers were not customers but subscribers who consisted of a series of numbers of customers. Therefore, subscribers did not have the chance to choose and complained about the service they received was not considered and was considered abnormal. As a result of the separation of retail companies, with the arrival of managers from different sectors to sales companies, there have been some developments that we can call fast in the last few years because these people do not have the aforementioned understanding. However, there are still many deficiencies. - There is still no digitalization in electricity service. It is a big problem that a sector that is so related to technology still follows the developments from behind. - Invoicing is still not simple for the consumer to understand. In addition, consumers cannot seek their rights sufficiently when it comes to objecting to invoices. - Some electricity companies that have licenses to sell electricity benefit from the ignorance of consumers. And it is seen that EMRA cannot adequately protect the rights of consumers in this regard. - Returns to complaints are not easy as they are not in reasonable periods. It is seen that users cannot easily access their rights. - In the senseless increases in electricity bills, it is seen that the consumer cannot seek his right again. For example, – and this is one of the most common complaints – cannot prove that a consumer whose bills are in the 50-70 TL band has a very clear problem with his bill suddenly going up to amounts such as 400 TL or 700 TL and returning to the normal amount the next month. - In the case of discounted electricity sales, if the rate is changed or completely removed contrary to the contract due to the fact that the discount rate is not written on the bill, the consumer cannot understand this and does not even realize that he is a victim. - In the electricity sector, the consumer is not adequately informed and the consumer is not in an effort to raise awareness on this issue. - It is understood that a large part of the public opinion in Turkey does not trust the electricity companies. The reasons for this very important determination need to be investigated. - The electricity market is not transparent enough. Reasonable and illogical developments are taking place, which undermines confidence in the market. - The general attitude of EMRA is to support the Supply and Distribution Companies in charge. Therefore, in the first article of the Electricity Market Law named "Purpose, without discrimination between the parties, equal..." practices contrary to the section are taking place. - Many things written in the legislation are not included in the application, nor is it followed. For example, although it is mandatory to provide online subscription service, only one company in our country provides this service as far as it is known.

2. Problems with the Deployment Service

- The consumer is abused at the connection stage and the investments that electricity companies need to make are made to the consumer. - The investments made by the subscriber may be forced to be transferred to the electricity company at a trace price (free of charge). - Private power transmission lines built by the subscriber in the past should be taken over by the electricity companies, but they are not taken over. - In the event that electricity is supplied to another person over the power transmission line belonging to the subscriber, the line must be taken over, but this is not done and the maintenance of the line is not undertaken by the electricity company. - In order to catch those who use illegal electricity, many people have been unjustly fined for illegal trafficking. Users cannot prove that they are innocent and many users are victims in this regard. - The consumer is unaware of the reactive price reflected in the invoice. They are unwittingly paying these costs. Consumers are unaware of the situations in which they can get rid of these costs. - There are problems with the reading of meters. Currently, meter readings are not carried out in accordance with the legislation. - In Turkey, ideally automatic meter reading service cannot be offered for a fee or free of charge and there is no improvement despite the fact that there has been a legislation on this subject for years. - Subscribers are still experiencing problems with energy permits and power increase. - Arbitrary applications are made to subscribers. The consumer who does not know his rights is forced for this reason. There is still a serious lack of electricity infrastructure in Turkey and it will take many years to recover. - Electricity distribution companies are described as the worst in the electricity sector in Turkey. They will not give up on victimization of the consumer until they subtract the money they paid in privatization. (Nevertheless, it can be said that the best distribution companies belonging to EnerjiSA are in this regard.) - The cyber security systems of all companies in the energy distribution sector do not meet the needs of the company[9].

3. Issues in the Manufacturing Service

- The presence of significant increases in unit costs of system use. - The fact that the power plants that produce electricity from natural gas have very serious problems. The restriction of the natural gas needed and the hikes in the natural gas used have brought the power plants to a standstill. - Market transparency has not been achieved. - Market predictability has not been achieved. - The liberalization of the market has not been achieved. The fact that the resources from which electrical energy will be obtained are limited and that there are effects that will harm the environment and the atmosphere shows that electrical energy production is not only a national problem. For this reason, any decision to be taken on energy is now examined at the international level and the rationality of the decision is examined in all its dimensions within the framework of both national and international interests. Turkey's energy demand continues to rise in parallel with urbanization, industrialization, prosperity growth, the spread of technology and the increasing population. In addition, the Turkish energy sector has a growing and developing structure. As a natural result of all these growths and increases, problems are also increasing. Although a number of problems have been solved through various legal studies, as can be seen, there are many more current problems waiting to be solved. Solving these is becoming a necessity for the interests of the Turkish energy and electricity sector. Bibliography

1. PAMIR, A. N. (2003). "Energy in the World and in Turkey, Turkey's Energy Resources and Energy Policies", (https://metalurji.org.tr/dergi/dergi134/d134_73100.pdf)
2. SIRIN, Y. N. (2009). "An Overview and Suggestions for Privatization in the Electricity Sector", Aegean Region Energy Forum, Denizli, pp.27-32.
3. SEVAİOĞLU, O. (2009). "Turkey Electricity/Energy Sector Report", METU, Ankara
4. Republic Of Turkey Ministry Of Development, 2018-2020 Medium Term Program, 2017
5. ERTILAV, M. by AKTEL, M. (2015). "TEDAŞ (Turkey Electricity Distribution Joint Stock Company) Privatization" International Alanya Business Faculty Journal, Antalya, Vol:7, S:2, p. 95-108
6. Republic Of Turkey Energy Market Regulatory, Regulation on Quality of Service for Electricity Distribution and Retail, 2016: Article 16
7. Republic of Turkey Energy Market Regulatory, Quality of Service Regulation on Electricity Distribution and Retail, 2013: Article 6
8. 2nd Occupational Health and Safety Congress in Electricity Distribution Sector 2. Occupational Health and Safety Congress, 2018
9. Global Information Security Survey - GISS 2017-18/ Global Information Security 2017-18 Survey, https://www.ey.com/
10. CEBIN, B. (2018). https://www.afaenerji.com/makaleler/

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