Distribution system operatorDSO information and documents in one place.

By decision of the President of the Energy Regulatory Office No. DPE-4711-40(18)/2013/11545/KL of 10 January 2013, SOPLA was designated as the electricity distribution system operator for the period from 1 March 2013 to 5 October 2024, in the area specified in its electricity distribution licence, excluding any distribution networks in that area for whose operation another system operator is responsible.

SOPLA is responsible for operating the distribution network and for its maintenance, servicing, repairs and expansion, under its electricity distribution licence for the period until 5 October 2024. The licence was granted by decision of the President of the Energy Regulatory Office No. PEE/281/11545/W/2/2004/BT of 1 October 2004.

Electricity is distributed through networks at the following voltages:

• medium voltage (MV) - 15 kV
• low voltage (LV) - 230/400 V

Under the Energy Law Act of 10 April 1997 (Journal of Laws of 2006, No. 89, item 625, as amended), every electricity customer, including customers who use electricity for household purposes, has the right to buy electricity from any supplier of their choice.

To change the supplier, a customer who has signed a so-called “comprehensive agreement” with Buma Service Sp. z o.o., i.e. a combined agreement for the sale of electricity and the provision of distribution services, must:

1. 1.Conclude an electricity sales agreement with the new supplier of their choice.Please note: a supplier can only sell electricity to customers connected to the Buma Service Sp. z o.o. network if it has signed an agreement with Buma Service Sp. z o.o. for the provision of electricity distribution services.
2. 2.Terminate the current agreement with Buma Service Sp. z o.o. for the sale of electricity and the provision of distribution services. This “comprehensive agreement” should be terminated in the manner and within the notice period set out in it.
3. 3.Conclude a distribution services agreement with Buma Service Sp. z o.o.

The supplier change procedure, stage by stage:

1. Stage 1

   Once the customer has chosen a new electricity supplier, the customer concludes an electricity sales agreement with that supplier. The new agreement should take effect on the day the sales agreement with the previous supplier is effectively terminated and on the day the electricity distribution services agreement with Buma Service Sp. z o.o. takes effect.

2. Stage 2

   The customer terminates the agreement with the previous supplier in line with the termination rules and notice periods set out in the existing comprehensive agreement or electricity sales agreement.

3. Stage 3

   The customer, or the new supplier acting on the customer's behalf under a power of attorney, notifies Buma Service Sp. z o.o. of the change of supplier by completing the “SUPPLIER CHANGE NOTIFICATION” form. The form must be submitted:

   • no later than 30 days before the planned start date of the new agreement - for the first change of supplier,
   • no later than 14 days before the planned start date of the new agreement - for each subsequent change of supplier.

   Within 5 working days of receiving the form, Buma Service Sp. z o.o. checks that the notification is correct:

   • if errors are found, the notification is rejected and the customer and the new supplier are informed. The supplier change process ends there;
   • if the data in the notification are correct, the notification is accepted and the customer and the new supplier are informed.

4. Stage 4

   Changing the supplier also requires the metering system to be adapted to the requirements of the Distribution Network Operation and Maintenance Manual (IRiESD). This is the responsibility of the owner of the metering system.

5. Stage 5

   In addition to the new sales agreement with the chosen supplier, the customer concludes a distribution services agreement with Buma Service Sp. z o.o. The customer should return it signed at least 10 days before it takes effect. This agreement can be concluded for an indefinite period, so there is no need to terminate and re-sign it each time the customer changes supplier.

6. Stage 6

   Once the technical and legal requirements have been met, Buma Service Sp. z o.o. assigns the metering point and the customer to the new supplier. Within 5 days at most of the new sales agreement taking effect, Buma Service Sp. z o.o. sends the customer's meter reading to both the previous and the new supplier. The previous supplier uses the reading for the customer's final bill, and the new supplier uses it as the starting point for billing. After the change, the customer has two agreements and receives two invoices for electricity: one from the supplier for the electricity itself, and one from Buma Service Sp. z o.o. for distributing that electricity to the point of consumption.

Please note that for customers connected to the Buma Service Sp. z o.o. network who have electricity distribution services agreements, the supplier referred to in Article 5(2a)(1)(b) of the Energy Law Act (the reserve supplier) is Buma Service Sp. z o.o., with its registered office in Kraków, ul. Wadowicka 6, entrance 11, entered in the Register of Entrepreneurs kept by the District Court for Kraków-Śródmieście in Kraków, 11th Commercial Division of the National Court Register, under number 0000167669.