NMa withdraws license electricity provider E-part

The electricity company E-part no longer meets the requirements set out for energy providers. The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has, therefore, decided to withdraw the company's license to provide electricity services. The license was granted in 2004. The regulator received complaints, submitted by E-part customers, on the energy provider's structural inaccessibility. Also, the company fails to comply with agreements outlining adequate complaint and dispute processing and does not provide its customers with annual or final bills.

On the basis of signals and complaints regarding E-part, the Office of Energy Regulation (DTe), part of the NMa, initiated an investigation into the company. Customer complaints and signals were passed on to the energy provider. DTe also conducted a series of talks with E-part. E-part proved unable to live up to the arrangements that had been agreed upon.

The withdrawal of the supply license will not affect electricity services delivered to approximately 460 E-part customers; a continued supply of electricity is guaranteed. In case of a license withdrawal, special arrangements come into force automatically, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of electricity to customers. Within a period of ten workdays, it should become apparent whether another provider will take over E-part customers. If this is not the case, the regional network operators will assign E-part customers to other (emergency) providers, according to the distribution code established for the Netherlands by Tennet. On the expiry of this ten working day period, customers may switch to any other provider, taking into account a notice period of 3o days. Their new provider will take care of cancelling supplies provided by the emergency provider. In this special case, the NMa has taken the exceptional measure of notifying E-part customers of procedures by sending them a letter.

Frequently asked questions on the supply of electricity in case of a license withdrawal are dealt with on the ConsuWijzer website (www.consuwijzer.nl ). ConsuWijzer is a national consumer information desk, jointly operated by the NMa, OPTA and the Consumer Authority.