Electricity bills: “misleading bait”

The Waste, Energy and Water Authority advises consumers on how to avoid additional charges on their energy bills. The memo is based on consumer requests to the department by phone or through the MYRAE complaints platform.

Among other things control indicates that the offer of electricity suppliers of low tariffs applies only to new customers, in order to increase its market share. Control draws the attention of consumers to five important points that are a kind of “bait”:

1. Discount if you pay your bill early. Office identified the intention of some suppliers to provide early payment discounts consumer accounts. However, the percentage (discount) does not remain constant every month. On the contrary, it changes and usually decreases, as a rule, after the first two months after you have taken advantage of this supplier’s offer. Therefore, management advises consumers to be especially careful, studying in detail the terms of each contract with the supplier, and not just follow an attractive commercial presentation that can act as a “misleading bait”.

2. Discounts do not apply if there is no constant fulfillment of the terms of the contract by the client (either an advance payment, or a delay in payments). Consumers should also pay attention to the non-cumulative effectiveness of the agreed rebate amount over the life of the contract ρκεια της σύμβασης) in proportion to the number of days of consumption, a practice followed by some suppliers. Consumers should pay attention to how the discount is provided: in a permanent quantity and time, as usually specified in the terms of the contract with the supplier.

3. Discount for non-fixed sequence. The Authority has defined an “electric power product” that provides different permanent discount per month. Consumers should be aware of it and pay attention if this is a commercial presentation of the tariff (“bait”).

4. Discounts for constancy are advance. Management identified instances where vendors used advance permanent discount to the original fare pricewhich, however, by definition implies prompt payment of the bill by the consumer, which may or may not be the case if the bill is paid late. Consumers should be aware that the reduction in the invoice offer price can only be temporary and canceled in case of non-payment of the invoice on time..

5. Tariff – “bait”
Many suppliers apply rates at extremely competitive prices, which, however, are only applicable to new customers and not to existing customers. It was noticed that the vast majority of consumers signed a contract on a much more expensive tariff scale.

Consumers can ask their suppliers to upgrade to a low fare program. The department recommends choosing the product (supply of electricity) with the lowest prices, for which you need to start changing the tariff program under an agreement with your supplier. This the change will be made immediately and free of chargewithin the program.

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