Two more points---ο Τζάμπας κι η ΔΕΗ.

[Theseus]

Is ο Τζάμπας the name of a cheap restaurateur or a chain similar to McDonald's, who sells cheap fast food & has cut [is χτυπώ a possible technical term?] the prices of food to match the relative poverty of some of 'his' customers? a kind of culinary poundstretcher?
Why did Η ΔΕΗ divide its prices into 'μεγάλη' και 'μικρή'?
This is something I have read on the subject:-
Στα τρία σπάει τη ΔΕΗ προκειμένου να προχωρήσει στην ιδιωτικοποίησή της η κυβέρνηση. Το σχέδιο του Υπουργικού Συμβουλίου προβλέπει τη διάσπαση της ΔΕΗ σε «μικρή» και «μεγάλη». Στόχος είναι η πρώτη να πουληθεί έως το 2015 και ποσοστό της δεύτερης έως το 2016. Ο κυβερνητικός σχεδιασμός προβλέπει ότι το αργότερο έως το 2014 ιδιώτης διαχειριστής θα αναλάβει και τα δίκτυα της ΔΕΗ με χωριστή ιδιωτικοποίηση του Ανεξάρτητου Διαχειριστή Μεταφοράς Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας (ΑΔΜΗΕ).

How does this benefit the customer? :blush:

 

[SBE]

O Τζάμπας is a character from the very annoying advertisements of a chain of electric goods stores, who proclaims that everything in those stores είναι τζάμπα= is free
Not to be confused with τζαμπατζής who is someone who uses all kinds of tricks to get something for free.

 

[SBE]

Regarding ΔΕΗ, nothing different than what happened in other EU countries, including the UK.
ΔΕΗ used to own the power stations, national transmission network and the local consumer-level network and thus had a monopoly in the production, transmission and retail of electricity in Greece.
In order to allow competitors to enter the market and following current practice across Europe, the company was divided into one that owns and operates the grid (state owned), responsible for delivering electricity to your local substation, and another company, responsible for delivering electricity to your house. This way competitors can also enter the retail market by getting electricity from the grid and delivering it to homes (in reality of course it is all done by ΔΕΗ as before, who sells the management of the last step to competitors who buy wholesale from DEI and sell to consumers at prices they decide). This benefits consumers because there is competition for retail prices. On the other hand, the grid remains the responsibility of the state for obvious reasons, however private firms can set up their own power stations and network to feed to the grid and then take up at the other end and sell.

 

[Theseus]

Τhanks again, SBE, for all the information that you take the time to send me: I hope you do not find it too irksome a task. Your comments are always prompt, worth reading and to the point. You criticise me when you think I have exceeded the bounds of propriety, yet in such a way that I do not feel humiliated but encouraged to reflect objectively on what seems inappropriate content. I appreciate all that you do. :)