The retail electric power market, previously operating on the basis of general legislative acts (the Power Industry Act and some others), now has a special set of norms called Retail Market Regulations, the spokesperson for ChelyabEnergoSbyt, the regional supplier, said to UrBC representative.

The main thing about these Regulations is setting up the institute of guaranteeing suppliers. The guaranteeing supplier status is obtained by the company that has no right to refuse any client wishing to use their electricity supplying services. Thus the state ensures reliable energy supply and gives the consumers a choice of suppliers. The Regulations determine the obligatory terms of agreement for both the users and the suppliers, which means the current agreements will have to be altered.

Right now, after the Regulations have been signed, all of the suppliers have been granted the guaranteeing supplier status, including ChelyabEnergoSbyt of Chelyabinsk Region. In the future, the right to this status will be granted through contests, with first contests to be held before January 1, 2008.