Energy provider reimburses customers for missing out on discounts

Dutch energy provider Nederlandse Energie Maatschappij (NLE) has promised the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) to reimburse customers that had been given too small discounts on their energy contracts for 2012 or 2013. NLE has informed ACM that this was an honest mistake. Over the next three months, the energy provider will offer affected consumers the discount that they had missed out on. These amounts can be as much as several dozens of euros per customer. This late reimbursement has been the result of an ACM investigation that was prompted by consumer reports about NLE failing to give these consumers the discounts it had promised them. Anita Vegter, Member of the Board of ACM, comments: “It is good that this company has decided to reimburse its customers. Consumers must be able to count on companies keeping their word.”

Energy contracts with discounts

In 2012 and 2013, NLE sold to consumers a product with a discount on their energy rates (this discount was called Discount for Regular Customers, or Vaste Klanten Korting in Dutch). This discount was promised on an entire year of supply. In practice however, the discount was given based on the first annual bill that consumers received. In most cases, this bill was based on meter readings that consumers had submitted themselves after receiving a notification from NLE to do so. Customers that submitted their meter readings before consuming an entire year’s supply of energy thus missed out on part of that discount.

NLE has promised ACM to reimburse all customers the discount of which had not been calculated over the entire year. NLE will raise their discount, matching it to the full 365-day discount. In most cases, NLE failed to give the discount on a couple of days to several weeks. Over the next few months, NLE will automatically reimburse affected consumers. ACM will keep a close watch on this process by following the reports that are submitted to consumer information portal ConsuWijzer about it.