Pay more for energy or go elsewhere. Vendors are pushing scared clients

Such practices of supplier companies are also confirmed by the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO). “In recent months, we have seen a significant increase in cases where electricity producers try to get out of a contractual obligation to supply electricity, by variously challenging the validity of contractual arrangements,” the ERO warned that similar efforts by energy suppliers may be illegal. “Damages incurred in such cases may be enforceable in court if both parties have not agreed in the contract on the possibility of withdrawal from the contract or termination of obligation,” claims the ERO.

According to Arsen Lazarevic from the specialized website elektrika.cz, the law allows traders to increase the price, but considers such conduct immoral. “Consumers should therefore focus on experienced and large suppliers,” Lazarevich told Deník.

Experts recommend that people in such a situation first compare prices from different suppliers on comparators, such as those available from the ERO website. They should first enter into a contract with a new supplier before terminating the existing contract. “If the consumer only withdraws from the contract and does not conclude another, he may inadvertently enter the regime of unauthorized collection,” Hekšová warned.

Protection of consumer interests

According to the director of the Association of Czech Consumers, Viktor Vodička, the authorities should force people to react strongly to attempts by energy suppliers to sign less advantageous contracts. “It is precisely the market regulator who should not resign from this role of consumer protection, and should now clearly comment on these practices,” Vodička told Deník yesterday. “We are aware that this step would probably lead to litigation, but we consider it necessary so that our consumers are not just hostages, but equal participants in the market,” he said.

The situation on the markets is turbulent and panic spills over from energy companies to customers. For example, on Wednesday, the wholesale price of natural gas in the Netherlands, where this commodity is traded for Europe, shot extremely high by a full 40 percent. The decline began after Russian President Vladimir Putin assured Russia that it would increase supplies to Europe.

Akcenta analyst Miroslav Novák is convinced that due to the fact that suppliers usually buy energy several years in advance and have already secured themselves for the coming period, the price of electricity for end customers should not rise extremely in the coming months. However, according to him, stronger growth than before should definitely be expected at the end of this year and the beginning of next. “I would say that year-on-year growth can be around ten percent,” Novák told Deník.

If you are not satisfied with the price of energy, you can still have it fixed for the next period. “In that case, even today, people get energy at lower prices than their current price on the stock exchange,” Lazarevich added.

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