“The legal adviser fee introduced by the Toplofikatsiya-Sofia heating utility leads to accumulation of profit from a non-rendered service behind the back of the Bulgarian citizens,” Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria Maya Manolova said speaking for bTV.

She explained that in the trials initiated by Toplofikatsiya against its debtors there is such a fee, generally known as the legal adviser fee.

Ms Manolova added that a simple application filed to the court by Toplofikatsiya-Sofia is charged with up to BGN 300 fees and thus the bill looms even larger.

The Ombudsman also showed documents with information about the so-called legal adviser services.

“If the subscribers do not pay the BGN 300 fee a trial is initiated against them in order the fee to be collected,” Ms Manolova explained.

“The management of the company informed me that it cannot reject the fee because it is a municipal company,” the Ombudsman added.

Ms Manolova commented further that she would refer the issue to the Sofia Municipal Council, the government and the minister of energy over the problems caused by the heating utility of Sofia.