Mestre. Crazy gas bills, seven refunds for over 10 thousand euros

MESTRE – Seven reimbursements for a sum exceeding 10 thousand euros. It might seem like a crumb in a sea of ​​”crazy bills” of the gas, but the battle of Adico against the invoices received in January from a multitude of users, mostly from Enel Energy, in recent days it has managed to bring home the first concrete results, «even if – recognized by the Mestre consumers’ association which, in just over a couple of weeks, has doubled the number of cases opened on the subject – the road to be taken to obtaining justice is still long and tortuous.”

REFUNDS
“Errors in sending the communication”, recognition of “bonuses” that had not been included, generic “recalculations” of the bill: these are the reasons that Enel Energia provided to users who had turned to Adico. «Between the end of last week and the beginning of this week, seven of our members from Mestre, Martellago and Scorzè saw the requests formulated through our legal office accepted – explain dall’Adico -. We are talking about amounts that vary from a minimum of 555 to a maximum of 2,383 euros, with two other practices accepted by Enel which, however, has yet to calculate the sums to be returned”.

The story is now on everyone’s lips given that many national television channels, and on the subject also the Antitrust, has opened an investigation against Enel Energia for unfair commercial practices (even if, as Enel Energia specifies, it has not yet been issued no action). However, in 95% of cases the problem concerns Enel customers who had reached the expiry of an advantageous offer and who therefore found themselves, from one day to the next, with a price per cubic meter between four and five times higher to the previous one. «To be clear – they add from Adico -, the rates have gone from an average of 60 cents to 2.43 euros per cubic meter. The change in cost, according to the company, would have been communicated in writing or by email to those directly involved who, however, believe they never received anything. On the other hand, given that there is no obligation for the supplier to communicate the end of the promotion with certified e-mail or registered letter with return receipt, thus dispelling any doubts about the sending and receipt of the letter, the issue opens up inevitable disputes from ‘uncertain outcome’.

COMPLAINTS INCOMING
«The positive responses received in recent days – comments Carlo Garofolini, president of Adico – could be the sign of a real turning point in relation to this ugly affair which is putting many families and many elderly people in serious difficulty. On each acceptance communication, the reasons change and are often vague and indecipherable. In short, the company does not want to admit that it has implemented a commercial practice that is at least not very transparent. There are many dark sides to the issue and in the case of a “conviction” by the antitrust authority we believe that the repayment of sums not actually owed should occur automatically”. Currently Adico alone is following around 150 members, “victims” of crazy gas bills. The activity materialized first with a warning to Enel (or other suppliers involved), then with a report to the Arera Authority and, finally, with a complaint to the Guardia di Finanza. «It is a personalized complaint that the people involved will receive directly from our legal office, with the sole task of filling in some parts and then presenting the complaint to the Guardia di Finanza – concludes Garofolini -. The complaints obviously concern the two main issues of the issue: firstly the sending of the communication that users believe they never received; second, the new tariff proposed by the supplier at 2.43 euros per cubic meter, compared to the average of 70 cents. Through the complaint we hope that the judiciary will evaluate the existence or otherwise of illicit behavior on the part of the supplier”

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Read the full article at
The Gazzettino