Jubilee Year is a statutorily declared debt jubilee that makes it possible for debtors to rid themselves of interest and execution costs on debts owed to public institutions and companies in which the state has a majority interest.  Aside from executions, for example, for unpaid rent, health insurance, or riding public transit without a ticket, this opportunity is also available to people who owe to ČEZ a utilities debt that is being claimed in execution.  The principle of Jubilee Year lies in the payment of the original amount owed (principal) and the executor’s fee of CZK 908; all other interest and costs of enforcement that have accrued on the debt over time will be waived by ČEZ.

“Our statistics show that the Jubilee Year may apply to as many as 70,000 active executions.  We urge debtors to take advantage of the project.  We have also sent a written request to the law firms and executors who represent us in collecting the amounts owed to us, to be as accommodating as possible to everyone who wants to resolve their situation,” says the CEO of ČEZ Prodej, Tomáš Kadlec.  More information and detailed instructions on how people interested in the Jubilee Year should proceed are available on a new website launched by ČEZ at https://www.cez.cz/cs/milostive-leto.

1. Contact the debt collector for a principal assessment
2. Pay the outstanding principal and fee to the bailiff
3. Ask for confirmation that the foreclosure has been stopped
4. The principal and the bailiff's fee must be paid between 28 October 2021 and 28 January 2022

"We have a long-standing commitment to being a considerate and responsible company and this is reflected in our relationships with our customers. ČEZ Prodej already allows the reduction or forgiveness of interest on late payment or collection costs in individual cases. We welcome the Jubilee Year event as a systematic step, because for many debtors in foreclosure it may be their only way to escape the debt trap and start living normally," says Kateřina Bohuslavová, Director of the CEZ Group's ESG unit.

How to proceed to get rid of a utility debt in execution:

1. Contact the executor and ask him to calculate your principal
2. Pay the unpaid principal and the executor’s fee
3. Request a confirmation on the termination of the enforcement
4. The principal and the executor’s fee must be paid between 28 October 2021 and 28 January 2022

“We have long striven to be a considerate and responsible company, which is reflected in our customer relations.  ČEZ Prodej already makes it possible to lower or waive default interest or costs of debt collection on a case-by-case basis.  We welcome the Jubilee Year project as a systematic step for many debtors in distraint, as this may be their only way to escape the debt trap and start living normally,” says Kateřina Bohuslavová, head of the ESG Department of ČEZ Group.

ČEZ has long been striving to reduce the number of cases that end up in enforcement. The basis is negotiation with customers and the effort to find an appropriate solution.  Customers can repeatedly approach the ČEZ Complaints Department or the ČEZ Ombudsman.  In assessing individual cases, the Ombudsman, as an independent instance, takes into account such factors as the client’s difficult situation and social aspects.  ČEZ Prodej primarily seeks judicial enforcement and files for execution claims that have a higher value of principal.  For many years, it has not claimed lower receivables in court or through execution, due to the excessive burden on debtors.

For more information, also see What is the Jubilee Year and how does it work – I don’t owe the government (nedluzimstatu.cz)