Maxi electricity bill adjustments: prescribed in 2 years. How to dispute improper invoices

Maxi electricity bill adjustments: prescribed in 2 years. How to dispute improper invoices

Goodbye big bills. Even if few know it, from March of this year if we find ourselves in front of the expensive multi-year adjustments on the electricity bill, we will be entitled to pay only the last 2 years. Unfortunately, however, not all sellers have correctly informed citizens and it also happens that they request adjustments exceeding the two-year period required by law.



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Goodbye big bills. Even if few know it, from March of this year if we find ourselves in front of the expensive multi-year adjustments on the electricity bill, we will be entitled to pay only the last 2 years. Unfortunately, however, not all sellers have correctly informed citizens and it also happens that they request adjustments in excess of the two-year period required by law.



This is the 24-month prescription introduced by the 2018 Budget Law against the previous 5 years. To protect citizens, the Electricity Authority (Arera), in recent days, has sent a further communication to electricity sellers, forcing them to inform citizens by sending a communication together with the bill. In particular, it must be specified that no adjustments can be requested for estimated consumptions that go back more than two years.

This notice from the sellers must arrive at least 10 days before the payment deadline.

Pursuant to art. 10.3 of Annex A to resolution 501/2014 / R / com, explains the Arera that sellers must write the following message in bold on all bills issued up to 31 December 2018:

"Starting from 1 March 2018, if you receive an invoice containing amounts for consumption referring to periods that have elapsed for at least two years, you can contest them and not pay them, in application of the 2018 Budget Law (Law no. 205/17). Your seller is obliged, together with this invoice and in any case at least 10 days before the payment deadline, to inform you in order to facilitate you in exercising this right. For further information call the toll-free number of the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment (ARERA) 800 166 654 ”.

Unfortunately, not all citizens are aware of this new right and how to exercise it. For this reason, it has happened that some operators have continued to request even older adjustments, relating to periods of more than two years.

What to do if we have received a balance over two years in the bill?

In this case, a very specific procedure must be followed for dispute the invoice. First of all, we check the reference period and consumption in the bill to verify that there is consistency between what the meter shows and what is indicated in the bill. At that point, we send a written complaint to our operator by registered letter with return receipt and we await a response from the latter, which must be received within 50 days.



If it does not arrive within this deadline or if the response is deemed unsatisfactory, we will go to online conciliation. We move to online conciliation through out-of-court resolution with the Energy Authority.

"This is a mandatory step before taking legal action, and only afterwards if you do not reach an agreement or are not satisfied with the one reached, you will go before the Justice of the Peace, which however has a much more cost and time long" explains Codes.


Pay attention and check that the correct wording is shown in the next bill but above all check, in the event of a multi-year adjustment, that it does not go beyond two years.


READ also:

  • Unpaid electricity bills: that's how much they will really cost us
  • The dangerous hoax of 35 euros in the bill to pay the arrears of others

Francesca Mancuso

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