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By the end of 2022, all residents of the country will have to choose an independent electricity supplier.
The first stage of the liberalization of the electricity market, which started last year in Lithuania, also caused confusion. Thousands of Lithuanians, who consume the most electricity (5,000 kWh and more per year), had to choose an independent electricity supplier from June to December 10.
Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Electricity providers in Lithuania
However, as already written 15 minutesSometimes it happens and vice versa: the consumer discovers that it is the company that attributes it to its customers.
A resident of the Kėdainiai district found himself in such a situation, that he discovered that he had become an Elektrum customer against his will: the company concluded the contract after a phone call, although the resident had not sent any signature or email confirmation. . Read about it HERE.
It turns out that there are more such cases. After reading this 15 minutes publication, suspicions that they might find themselves in a similar situation arose in Daina, which manages three real estate in Vilnius: a house, an apartment and a garden (the name is known to the editorial board) 15 minutes).
Of three real estate objects owned by a woman, more than 500 kWh of electricity is consumed in the house per year, therefore, in November last year, Dainė turned to intermediaries: the company Markestro, which is found on the Internet, advises on the selection of independent electricity providers.
The company consultant recommended the Enefit company to the 3 real estate objects, collected information on user codes and personal data of the owner.
Sigismund Gedvila / 15 min photo / “Enefit”
The song assures that she was simply asking for information and there was no talk of closing the contract.
“My agreement with the consultant was clear: I am waiting for the Enefit contract offer and then I will compare it with offers from other companies. There was not even a word that I authorized him to sign the contract on my behalf ”, emphasized the interlocutor.
My agreement with the consultant was clear: I am waiting for the Enefit contract offer and then I compare it with the offers of other companies. There was not even a word that I authorized him to enter into a contract on my behalf.
After the first interview, the woman did not receive a letter from the consultant, but about a month later, the same man called to verify the information provided. This raised suspicions in Vilnius, as well as the fact that the consultant claimed that she could not call the company herself.
“I didn’t get anything after that, neither the contract nor any information. And then, after reading your article, I called Enefit. Imagine my surprise when they said that I have been their customer since February,” Dainė wondered.
Imagine my surprise when they said that I have been their customer since February.
“How many more can be the same as me who approached a consultant being deceived? What other manipulation methods did these companies invent? ”The interlocutor was outraged.
It was not possible to find out how many houses went to an independent provider.
After clarifying the situation, the woman asked Enefit to terminate the contract, but the consultant who answered the phone demanded that Dainė send this request in writing.
“I sent in writing a resignation to a contract that I had never seen or signed,” lamented the woman.
Admittedly, that did not end his tough attempt to withdraw from the contract without signing. Although there was an automated response that Daine would receive a response within 5 business days, the woman received neither a letter nor a call after the deadline.
Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Electricity providers in Lithuania
Like the Kėdainiai described above, who became a client of Elektrum through violence, Dain pudo was unable to call the company and find out about the unpleasant situation. The woman was even unaware of how many of her three properties were assigned to Enefit because she received an invoice from this provider for only two properties.
“I’m not sure if only two of the three objects were taken, or one or three. I tried to call several times, but it is not possible,” Dainė complained.
Renatas Pocius, president of the State Energy Regulatory Council (VERT), also mentioned the fact that contracts with consumers are concluded simply by phone, without even realizing it themselves, at the meeting of the Seimas Economic Committee.
Photo by Irmantas Gelūnas / 15 min photo / Renatas Pocius, president of the State Energy Regulatory Council
Representative of VERT Aistė Griškonytė 15 minutes reported that as of January 1, 2021, VERT has received 9 consumer complaints about contracts entered into incorrectly.
“Errors are generally corrected for the benefit of the user. The independent electricity supplier assumes responsibility for the negative consequences of ESO providing incorrect information about the conclusion of the contract with the consumer and compensates for losses, if any, ”assured the VERT representative.
He received a call after contacting journalists.
Asking to comment on the situation 15 minutes the portal appealed to both Markestro and Enefit.
Less than an hour from 15 minutes In a letter sent to Enefit in 2006, Dainė received a long-awaited call from company representatives, during which he not only heard an apology, he learned all the information he had tried to obtain from the company last week, but also You also heard about Discounts offered.
“The company representatives said they were very sorry, mentioned that a big mistake had been made and explained that they had taken 2 of the 3 objects, the ones that consume the most electricity,” Dainė said.
After clearing up the misunderstanding with the customer, Enefit sent a response the next business day and 15 minutes to a journalist.
Deividas Kranauskas, Marketing Director of the independent electricity supplier Enefit 15 minutes he claimed repentance for the incident.
“We regret and acknowledge that the first steps in the liberalization of the electricity market in Lithuania may have caused some inconvenience to some customers. However, our priority is the quality of customer service, that is why we delve into each situation individually and look for a solution that satisfies both parties. Therefore, taking into account the circumstances, we have already contacted that person personally to find a timely solution ”, said D. Kranauskas.
Luke April / 15min photo / Presentation of the “Enefit” initiative
He also ensured that phone contracts will not be emailed to customers regarding BDAR’s recommendations.
“For our part, we assume all responsibility and possible risks. Therefore, after contacting the potential customer by phone and signing a contract with him, an email was later sent to him. We send an email letter with a link to join Enefit’s self-service, where the registered customer sees the available contracts, terms and prices. In this way, without sending contracts to the client by email. mail, – we protect your personal data in accordance with the recommendations of the BDAR.
Sometimes there are isolated cases of misunderstandings when we communicate with clients by phone, but again, we resolve all these cases individually, at the same time we respond promptly and help the client to terminate the contract if they wish, ”said a Enefit representative. .
Meanwhile, Artūras Meškelė, director of the Internet and television services and power supply brokerage firm Mano Planas, which manages the Markestro brand. 15 minutes It stated that it could not comment on individual cases, but that customer data is only transmitted to electricity providers if there is a clear agreement on the conclusion of contracts.
“We strictly adhere to our standard of customer service, therefore we communicate customer contacts to our partners only when they clearly express their intention to enter into a contract and confirm that they understand the terms of the contract. Our partners, that is, Additional communication on procurement matters is handled by the energy supply companies with which we cooperate. All records of customer conversations are stored in our company, unless the customer expresses a different request. This process it is always without exception in our company ”, assured A.Meškelė.
Regulator: Telephone contracts are not valid
Both My Plan and Enefit argued that telephone contracting was chosen in the context of the current pandemic and customer needs.
“Naturally, this has led the entire market to seek new ways of informing the client in a more comfortable way and of concluding contracts without physically coming to sign them, in order to guarantee the freedom of choice provided by law. However, so far only a minority of the Lithuanian population uses electronic signatures, so this could not be an acceptable alternative for everyone.
One of them is the conclusion of a contract by telephone. When it is possible to cancel the concluded contract and flexible contract termination options are offered, it is very convenient, ”said A.Meškelė.
However, the state energy regulator takes the opposite point of view. Representative of VERT Aistė Griškonytė 15 minutes reiterated that Verbal agreements over the phone are not valid.
“A telephone conversation is not considered an adequate means to identify the person who enters into the contract, and the acceptance by the consumer of the offer presented during the same cannot be considered as signing the contract”, emphasizes A. Griskonytė.
Photo from 123RF.com / A man talks on the phone.
According to her, contracts for the purchase and sale of electricity and the provision of transmission services between independent electricity providers and domestic customers must be concluded in writing and / or by email. means of communication, provided they allow the contractor to be properly identified. The following are considered appropriate means: e. signature, email stamp, email a timestamp, as well as other means to properly identify the person.
In case the independent electricity supplier offers the consumer to enter into a contract for the purchase and sale of electricity by telephone and the consumer agrees, the company must provide the consumer with a printed contract or a CD or USB medium, email. by mail.
“Consumers can see information about the electricity supplier assigned to them in ESO’s self-service, and it is always possible to contact an independent electricity supplier with whom the consumer has a contract. If the consumer cannot obtain this information for any reason, we recommend that they contact the State Energy Regulatory Council in writing so that the situation can be examined individually, ”warned a VERT representative.
In March, VERT issued an explanation to companies about the hiring.
“Taking into account the problems identified, VERT may consider the need to propose a tightening of the requirements for the conclusion of contracts established in legal acts”, summarized A. Griškonytė.
The second and most abundant stage for customers foresees that the supplier must choose a supplier by December 2021 for households that consume from 1 to 5,000. kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
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