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In connection with the rise in energy prices on the stock exchange, Czech households’ expenditure on electricity and gas is also rising. However, when raising prices, energy suppliers must adhere to fixed rules. If the statutory procedures are not followed, all changes are considered invalid, the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) warns.
Czech electricity and gas suppliers are raising prices for their customers in response to rising energy prices on the stock exchange. However, the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) calls on people to carefully check that the supplier has complied with all legal procedures. If this is not the case, they may oppose the increase in prices.
The supplier must duly notify the changes
When raising prices, the supplier must always inform the customer about the change in time, no later than 30 days in advance. Notify me of extra changes it is not enough just to edit the price list on the websitewhich is a problem that the ERO has repeatedly addressed in disputed administrative proceedings.
“We remind all suppliers that when they increase prices, it is not enough to post a new price list on the website. Although the form of notification is determined by a specific contract, it must not contradict the law. And the legislation clearly requires that the supplier has demonstrably and addressed a change in price“says Markéta Zemanová, a member of the ERO Council, adding:” If a supplier places a report only on the site, it would be difficult to prove that he made sufficient efforts to ensure that the information actually reaches his customers. “
In addition to addressability, provability and compliance with the deadline for notification the information sent must also include information that the customer may withdraw from the contract without penalty as a result of the changesif it sends the withdrawal to the supplier no later than ten days before the new prices take effect.
These rules are also enshrined in the amendment to the Energy Act, which came into force in the new year. It confirms that if the supplier does not properly notify all changes, they are considered invalid. “If anyone tried to hide the autumn price increase from consumers, it did not help much, because the increased price cannot be demanded now. We have currently confirmed this decision-making practice in our proceedings,” explains Ladislav Havel, a member of the ERO Council.
How to defend yourself
If the customer finds himself in a situation where the supplier demands payment of a higher price, which he has not properly notified, he should first object to the ineffectiveness of such a change. “If the company acknowledges its mistake and corrects the bill, it has de facto penalized itself. Otherwise, the consumer would have billing claimand if the supplier does not comply, it can defend itself through out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes at the ERO. It is in these proceedings that a final verdict may be heard that the supplier is not entitled to charge the increased price, “the ERO warns.
TN.cz
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