Because the Guarantor of the market will spark with Enel, Illumia, Eon and more
The Antitrust Authority initiated 13 investigative proceedings against some energy companies (including Enel Energia, Illumia, Wekiwi, Dolomiti Energia, E.On). All the details
Lack of transparency in the indication of the economic conditions for the supply of electricity and gas on the free market.
It is on this basis that the Antitrust has initiated 13 investigative proceedings against the companies Enel Energia, Optima, Green Network, Illumia, Wekiwi, Sentra, Olimpia-Sinergy Group, Gasway, Dolomiti Energia, E.On, Axpo, Audax, Argos.
The remarks formulated by the Authority refer to both the contractual documentation and the promotional communication, underlines the authority.
According to the Antitrust Authority, before the signing of the contract "users are not adequately informed of the existence of some additional cost items to the price of the energy component, with the consequence that, only upon receipt of the bills, they become aware of the actual costs of electricity and gas supplies applied by these companies, which are higher than expected ".
In essence, "the Authority intends to ascertain the existence of conducts relating to offers for the supply of electricity and gas on the free market that conflict with the rules of the Consumer Code, in cases where the economic conditions envisaged in the contractual documentation or by the various operators in the sector are misleading, inadequate or omissive ".
Enel specifies: “In relation to the proceeding initiated by the AGCM against various operators for alleged unfair commercial practices regarding the transparency of offers to customers, referring to the information on marketing charges contained in the commercial proposals, Enel Energia specifies the following. The Company applies, in its commercial proposals, the marketing charges defined by the sector Authority (ARERA), referring to the related provisions, published and updated periodically by the same Authority. Enel Energia believes that it has always operated in compliance with the principle of transparency, which it considers a founding value of the relationship with its customers and is confident that it will be able to demonstrate the compliance of its actions with this principle in every location ".
HERE IS THE INTEGRAL COMMUNICATION OF THE AGCM:
L ' Authority for Competition and Market launched 13 pre-trial proceedings against Enel Energia, Optima, Green Network, Illumia, Wekiwi, Sentra, Olimpia-Sinergy Group, Gasway, Dolomiti Energia, E.On, Axpo, Audax, Argos concerning the lack of transparency in the indication of the economic conditions for the supply of electricity and gas on the free market. The remarks formulated by the Authority refer to both contractual documentation and promotional communication.
The analysis of the main commercial offers on the free market proposed by the companies revealed the existence of various critical profiles of the information provided regarding the items that contribute to the formation of the overall price of electricity and gas, including charges which, a once reported in the bill, they are charged to consumers.
In particular, it appears that, prior to signing the contract, users are not adequately informed of the existence of some additional cost items to the price of the energy component, with the consequence that, only upon receipt of the bills, they become aware of the actual costs of electricity and gas supplies applied by these companies, which are higher than expected.
In many cases, the marketing costs are not indicated in their exact amount or some costs foreseen by the contract are not based on a corresponding activity. Sometimes, on the other hand, other cost items are improperly charged to users in the event of early withdrawal, as a penalty or in the form of a reversal of the bonuses granted to encourage participation in commercial offers.
With the initiation of these proceedings, the Authority intends to ascertain the existence of conducts relating to offers for the supply of electricity and gas on the free market that conflict with the rules of the Consumer Code, in cases where the economic conditions presented in the contractual or promotional documentation by the various operators in the sector are misleading, inadequate or omissive.
The investigation also relates to aggressive behaviors implemented by some of these operators, where they provide for the application of penalties in the event of withdrawal or apply costs for services not rendered, in order to sanction behavior that is prejudicial to domestic and non-domestic customers of small dimensions and thus dissuade its future reiteration.
Such behaviors could also integrate non-diligent conduct, in violation of art. 20 of the Consumer Code.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/perche-il-garante-del-mercato-fara-scintille-con-enel-illumia-eon-e-non-solo/ on Fri, 09 Oct 2020 06:14:25 +0000.