Lack of transparency in the indication of the economic conditions for the supply of electricity and gas on the free market, both in the contractual documentation and in the promotional communication. This is the finding formulated by the Competition and Market Authority against 13 companies providing those services, against which a preliminary investigation has been initiated. The companies involved are these: Enel Energia, Optima, Green Network, Illumia, Wekiwi, Sentra, Olimpia-Gruppo Sinergy, Gasway, Dolomiti Energia, E.On, Axpo, Audax, Argos.
"The analysis of the main commercial offers on the free market proposed by the companies - explains the Antitrust note - revealed the existence of various critical profiles of the information provided in relation to the items that contribute to the formation of the overall price of electricity and of gas, inclusive of charges which, once reported in the bill, they are charged to the consumers. In particular, it appears that, before 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, do they realize the actual costs of electricity and gas supplies applied by these companies, which are higher than expected".
So in many cases marketing charges are not indicated in their exact amount or some obligations under the contract are not based on a corresponding activity. Sometimes, however, other cost items are improperly charged to users in the event of early withdrawal, as a penalty or in the form of a transfer of the bonus granted to encourage adherence to commercial offers.
Now the investigation will ascertain whether such conduct conflicts with the rules of the Consumer Code, i.e. they result “misleading, inadequate or omitted”. Arera, the Energy Regulatory Authority, also keeps its guard very high on the free market annual report presented in mid-September, expressly drew attention to excessively high prices, noting that prices for domestic users are 26% higher on the free market than on the captive market. “The free market – said chairman Besseghini – already today accounts for the majority share of the retail energy market: prices are lower for non-domestics, while they are 26% higher for domestics. The Green deal cannot affect bills, use the Recovery Fund".
Following the communication from the Antitrust, Enel Energia issued a note specifying that "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 its relationship with its customers, and is confident that it can demonstrate the compliance of its operations with this principle at each location.
Updated Sunday October 11, 2020 at 15:30pm
