On possible life in a world without monopolies

Zinozin Stanev and his "island of independence" in Bulgaria's Vidin region

published on 5/13/24 11:20 AM

Photo: BNR Vidin

Amendments to the Energy Act adopted in the Bulgarian Parliament have moved the start of ‎the transitional period of electricity market liberalisation forward in time by one ‎year - to 1 July 2025. The changes should provide a gradual opportunity for ‎full liberalisation of the retail energy market. Whether and how this will affect ‎domestic and industrial energy consumers, whether electricity will be more or ‎less expensive, remains to be seen. ‎

In the meantime, a story from North West Bulgaria shows us how possible life ‎is if you choose to be independent of some of the public utility providers ‎such as the water and electricity companies. The main character in the story is ‎Zinosin Stanev, who for 15 years has been living like this in the field between ‎the villages of Inovo and Major Uzunovo in the region of Vidin. Initially he had one bungalow ‎and 4 decares of land, which today are already 9. ‎

‎"I like it, I'm my own 'king and master'. I don't want to run electricity ‎here and will do anything to make it entirely my production. It will either be ‎from wind or solar panels, but I don't want to be connected to anyone, I want to have my small autonomy. I've planted a decare and something with fruit trees, almonds, ‎hazelnuts and a few walnuts," Zinosin said 15 years ago when he gave his first ‎interview to BNR's regional radio station in Vidin. ‎

Today Zinozin continues to live in the same way as then. He has an electricity generation unit, a wind ‎generator, solar panels and a well from which to draw the water he needs, but ‎admits that sometimes he wishes his farm had electricity, even though he ‎knows that the monopolists "are just playing with people's patience and raising ‎prices."‎

‎"I am not dependent on them, however if I had electricity it would be a ‎different thing because I need it for my tools. For now I manage, two solar ‎panels help me for the lights, radio and TV. For water I have a borehole, but ‎we also dug a 12-metre shaft with an electric pump, which I use mainly for ‎watering."‎

For a refrigerator, our compatriot uses the shaft and in winter he says he doesn't need it. ‎

However, he is about to adapt a cooler to run on gas. One of the outbuildings ‎will serve as his workshop, where he already has a lathe. He has a homemade ‎tractor, and has adapted part of a moped, to which he has attached a trailer and ‎uses it to get around. What does he admit about loneliness?

‎"I'm used to it and it doesn't impress me. I always have something to do, no ‎matter if it's light or dark. ‎

I have my contacts and I mandatorily go to the city twice-thrice a week to have coffee with friends."‎

Zinosin has reduced his expenses to those for the purchase of an appliance or ‎plant protection products. He says he has no pension and no secure income, ‎but he manages because his wife is in Italy. He is not complaining and is happy ‎with what he has achieved in the past 15 years. ‎

‎"For 15 years so much. To be all right, it requires a lot of money, which not ‎everyone has, but one must be satisfied with even the little one has and manage to ‎do it oneself," confidently says the man who managed to create his autonomous "island", ‎independent of monopolies. ‎

Compiled by Joan Kolev (based on an interview of Yordanka Gerasimova from BNR Vidin)

Photos: BNR Vidin

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On possible life in a world without monopolies

Zinozin Stanev and his "island of independence" in Bulgaria's Vidin region

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