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ASEP presses power companies for results before year-end

If your bill jumped without an obvious usage change, or a smart meter swap left you guessing, Panama's electricity regulator just put the three distributors back on a public clock: show results before the year closes.

On 29 September 2026, the Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Públicos (ASEP) published a notice that it is intensifying follow-up on EDEMET, EDECHI, and ENSA. Administrator Zelmar Rodríguez said fiscalization does not end when an action plan is written. Measures must turn into verifiable results for users. DPL News carried the same line the following day.

What ASEP is checking

About two months after ASEP proposed the action plan, the agency reviewed which steps are already running, which show progress, and what else is needed. Priority themes in the official note:

  • Rising high-consumption complaints when users say readings or bills do not match their usual pattern
  • Field inspections, voltage fluctuations, and other quality/continuity issues
  • Timely handling of user claims
  • Technical tools such as reading verification, field checks, and laboratory analysis when needed

Distributors presented progress and restated commitment to their plans. They also said they will roll out clearer public information on smart-meter installations and answer user questions about the swaps.

What this is not

This is an enforcement follow-up on existing distributor obligations and the recent action-plan track. It is not a new tariff law by itself, and it does not automatically credit every disputed bill. ASEP says it will keep pressure through year-end and apply regulatory measures if non-compliance continues.

Bottom line for expats

If you rent or own and the bill looks wrong after a meter change or a sudden spike, document readings with photos/dates, keep prior bills, and use ASEP's claim channels as well as the distributor's. Ask for written explanations before you accept a "normal seasonal" answer. Watch for the promised smart-meter disclosure materials so you know what hardware is on your service and how disputes are handled.