The troubles do not stop for the energy company Air-e and its owner, Alberto Ríos Velilla, after the scandal over a tender for the distributor that ended up being awarded to a generator belonging to the businessman, amid criticism for alleged anti-competitive practices and with high prices.
And again Air-e, in charge of distributing energy for the departments of La Guajira, Magdalena and Atlántico, It is in the eye of the hurricane due to the fight it has unleashed with Gustavo Petro’s administration in an intense dispute that affects millions of Colombians on the Caribbean coast..
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The controversy this time revolves around electricity rates and the investments necessary to improve the service. Since the liquidation of Electricaribe and the designation of Air-e and Afinia as energy distributors in that area of the country, regulation was imposed aimed at improving the service through investments.
These investments, which operators must make annually and which users pay in their bills, include generation, transmission, marketing and distribution.while the Energy and Gas Regulation Commission (Creg) is in charge of approving these positions.
However, according to the investigation requested by the Creg in March to the Superintendence of Home Public Services and revealed by the magazine ChangeAir-e could be violating these regulations.
According to the complaint, The distributor presented inconsistencies between the investments reported and the amounts charged to users; That is, Air-e continued to charge investment fees corresponding to the year 2023, but in reality these works were not advanced. This could have meant an increase of up to 86 pesos in some users’ bills, approximately 7% of the monthly total.
Given the alleged irregularities, the Superintendency of Home Public Services verified the information presented by Air-e and found serious discrepancies in the data reported by the company. While the company reported a real investment execution of 81,190 million pesos in 2023, it delivered a much higher figure, 183,609 million pesos, to the Liquidator and Account Administrator (LAC). These differences could have allowed Air-e to charge more on invoices.
However, the gap in the figures would have been due to a strange interpretation by Air-e of the regulation, who also indicated that they complied with the quality indicators for ten years and with the loss plan. “Said percentage of projected or executed annual investment (7%) must be taken into account, solely and exclusively as an input“, reads the document delivered by the magazine. However, for SuperServicios, these excuses are insufficient, insisting that the information provided is inconsistent.
In response, the superintendency asked XM to adjust the losses recognized to Air-e and to use the actual data from the 2023 investment plan. This measure seeks to ensure that the operator is compensated in accordance with regulatory provisions. Meanwhile, Codisgen, an energy marketing and distributor union created by Air-e, criminally sued the director of the Creg, Omar Príasfor alleged prevarication, accusing him of omission in mitigating the energy crisis.
In addition to the complex regulatory and judicial situation, Air-e would also be going through serious financial problems. And it is that The energy company requested on October 6, 2023 before the Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce to be admitted to a Business Recovery Procedure (PRES), a measure that was denied.
As it became known, the company intended to take advantage of the measure to delay payments to its creditors for a period of six months and thus alleviate its financial situation, but finally had to seek government support and pressure the Executive while maintaining questionable practices to continue operating. .
Experts in the energy sector assure that distributing energy in the Colombian Caribbean is a complicated business due to high losses due to theft of service and non-payment of bills. Although both Air-e and Afinia have faced financial problems, Afinia has the support of the EPM group, which has allowed it to better withstand the crisis. For its part, Air-e lacks similar supportwhich aggravates their financial situation.
The discomfort and frustration of users on the Caribbean coast persist, with no clear solution in sight. Meanwhile, Air-e remains at the center of a series of investigations and accusations that could redefine the energy landscape in Colombia.
