Pay the electricity bill twice a year and no longer every two months as is the case today in Italy. This is the revolution to come if the legislative decree implementing the European directive on energy efficiency is approved without modifications. The text has arrived in the Senate and from next week the Industry commission will start the hearings and then vote on its opinion. The Chamber will also have to pronounce, then it will be up to the government to formulate the definitive synthesis. Times are tight because the deadline set by the EU expires on 30 June for all member states to comply with the new provisions. But the tension is already high.
The consumer associations (Adoc, Adiconsum, Altroconsumo, assoutenti, Assoconsum, Casa del consumer, Codacons, Codici, Cittadinanzattiva, Mdc, Federconsumatori and Unc) have in fact issued an alarmed statement: virtuous practices and energy efficiency to reduce waste, especially in support of the economically disadvantaged”. What is it about? The government text proposes that "invoicing takes place at least every quarter upon request or if consumers have opted for electronic invoicing, otherwise, twice a year".
In this way, however, the consumer associations object, there is a risk of stratospheric adjustments, in the case of estimated readings; and the function of electronic meters that allow remote reading and better control over one's consumption is nullified. “The transposition of the European directive on energy efficiency – replies however the president of the Energy Authority Guido Bortoni who yesterday presented the new control plan for 2014 and will be heard in the Senate in early May – is a step forward for the country. Articles 9, 10 and 11 provide for better profiling of the end customer. Invoicing every six months should be seen as a de minimis: at least twice a year. It is a minimum requirement and nobody forbids Italy from improving it”. The positions are therefore distant.
Currently, the Atlas of Energy Consumer Rights (http://www.autorita.energia.it/atlante) is very clear: if you have a contract with conditions regulated by the Authority (the so-called enhanced protection service), the bill must be sent to customers at least every 2 months. If, on the other hand, you have a contract on the free market, the frequency for sending the bill is indicated in the supply contract. Furthermore, for domestic customers and SMEs (up to 16,5 kW) with an electronic meter already activated, from 1 January 2013 the reading must be carried out at least once a month. Even in the free market, the reading of meters of this type must take place on a monthly basis, in particular on the last day of each month. For those who do not have an electronic meter, the distributor must make an attempt to read it at least once a year.
Italy has a particularly virtuous situation in Europe in this field, thanks to the innovation of electronic meters in which we can boast absolute leadership: according to the latest statistics, 34 million have already been installed, a quantity that practically covers all domestic customers : in fact we are talking about almost 30 million people. According to the Authority's latest annual report, 5,7 million domestic customers passed through the free market. The data that the new meters are able to transmit are precious for energy saving purposes, although in areas not covered by broadband (about 2 million Italians do not receive it) the transmission of electrical data is also prevented. It will now be up to Parliament to resolve the dispute over the bills but the road does not appear to be easy.
