ANP
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At energy supplier Vattenfall, they refer twice as many people to debt relief agencies and they make thirty percent more payment arrangements with customers compared to last year. That says Martijn Hagens, CEO of the energy supplier, in news hour.
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In addition, he expects that prices will continue to rise in 2022 and 2023. “Last year we were able to dampen the price reasonably well, because we purchase early in advance and still had a lot of gas that we had purchased for a low price. Now that the price unfortunately remains high, that damping is getting further and further. to really take that into account in their household book.”
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At Geldfit, an organization that helps people who can no longer pay their bill with the municipality or energy supplier, they also see the problem of energy poverty increasing. “We are getting a record number of calls,” says operational manager Frederieke Kokol. “In the first quarter there were 3,000, which was more than in the previous period. In the second quarter, we had 4,000 phone calls or chat conversations with people seeking help with money worries. And I think we’re a long way from there. “
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Geldfit employees sometimes hear poignant stories over the phone from people who cannot make ends meet due to the high energy prices.
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‘Older lady only ate warm twice a week due to high energy bill’
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Vattenfall raised the variable rates again at the beginning of this month due to the rising energy prices, so that customers have to spend an average of 20 euros extra per month. Not everyone chooses to pay that amount right away. According to Vattenfall, ten percent of customers have a monthly payment that is far too low. This can lead to people receiving a hefty final bill at the end of the year, which can push people into further problems.
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It is not a legal obligation for energy suppliers to make it possible to reduce the installment amount, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) confirm. news hour† This possibility is determined by the terms of the contract between the energy user and the energy supplier. In other words: energy suppliers decide for themselves whether their customers may simply lower their own installment amount.
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A maximum reduction of 15 to 25 percent is common with most energy suppliers, says Sanne de Jong of price comparison site Gaslicht.com. “But experience shows that in well-substantiated cases, more is possible via customer service. For example, after installing solar panels.”
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Hagens finds it worrying that ten percent of its customers pay a monthly amount that is far too low. “That could mean that people have to pay an extra six hundred to twelve hundred euros,” he says. “It concerns more than one hundred and fifty thousand families that may get into trouble.”
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Savings
One of the most important ways to keep costs down is to save energy, says Hagens. “We work together with the fixbrigade, which visits people’s homes free of charge to help with things that are simple but can provide savings. And we also have our own people who visit people to try to actively reduce energy bills.”
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The energy supplier itself wants to set a good example in this: the thermostat is set to 16 degrees in all Vattenfall office buildings in winter. “That saves 25 percent compared to a thermostat set at 21 degrees. We call on other companies to do the same, because if we are able to use 10 or 20 percent less energy together, it can make a difference in whether or not companies should get rid of gas in an emergency scenario.”
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