Antitrust, Maxi-fine for Eni, Enel and Sen: 12,5 million euros for undue bills

Antitrust, Maxi-fine for Eni, Enel and Sen: 12,5 million euros for undue bills

Antitrust beating for Eni, Enel and Sen who will have to pay a fine of 12,5 million euros for having paid undue bills

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Antitrust thrashing for Eni, Enel and Sen who will have to pay a fine of 12,5 million euro for making citizens pay undue bills. To give the news today is the same authority.





In fact, according to the Antitrust Authority it has been ascertainedo the unjustified rejection of the two-year prescription requestsand presented by some users due to delays in the billing of electricity and gas.

“The Competition and Market Authority has approved the closure of the investigative proceedings initiated against the companies Enel Energia, Servizio Elettrico Nazionale (SEN) and Eni gas and electricity, imposing a total penalty of 12,5 million euros. The Antitrust in fact ascertained the unjustified rejection of the two-year prescription requests presented by users, due to the late billing of electricity and gas consumption, in the absence of suitable elements to demonstrate that the delay was due to the responsibility of the consumers "read in the official press release.

What does the 2018 Budget Law provide?

By virtue of the provisions of the 2018 Budget Law, consumers have the possibility to object to the two-year prescription of the credits claimed by the energy sector operators in relation to the multi-year consumption of electricity and gas billed late, except in the case of "ascertained responsibility" of the users. In particular, the law reduced the period within which the consumption of electricity, gas and water is prescribed from 5 to 2 years.

After the entry into force of this law, many citizens reported to the Authority that Eni, Enel and SEN did not accept the two-year statute of limitations, unfortunately without results given that they were still forced to pay the prescribed credits.

In thousands of cases, according to what was found by the Antitrust Authority, companies charged users with the responsibility for not reading the meters against reading attempts declared by the distributor. However, not only these attempts to read were not documented, but some were even denied by the evidence provided by the users: for example the accessibility of the meter or the presence in the home of the user, his relatives or the building concierge at the time of alleged attempt to read the meter.



"Furthermore, during the proceeding it emerged that Enel Energia and Servizio Elettrico Nazionale immediately charged the amounts invoiced subject to prescription to users who had chosen bank / postal domiciliation or credit card payment as the method of payment, sometimes ignoring the statute of limitations raised by users or by communicating their rejection only later ", explains the Authority.

Unfair commercial practices that will cost Enel Energia 4 million euros and 3,5 million euros for the National Electricity Service. The maximum fine, however, has fallen to Eni gas and electricity (5 million euros), due to the greater number of prescription requests rejected in proportion to those presented by consumers and the recidivism in relation to misconduct related to the prescription.

Thanks to the Authority's decision, therefore, within three months, consumers will be able to obtain reimbursement of payments already made in the form of undue balance.



Sources of reference: Competition and Market Authority

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