Bills for light: a big swindle, or how we are hunted

The trophies were thousands of residential electricity consumers who, although they heard and saw the fall in natural gas prices and wholesale electricity prices, nevertheless got into a mess.

Consumers are outraged, and in fact already in July, despite the fact that the general trend in electricity tariffs is stabilizing, it is very likely that they will again face even hotter kilowatt-hours…increased by 57%.

Why is this happening? According to an investigation by journalists from ot.gr, and as the Energy and Water Waste Regulatory Authority (Ρυθμιστική Αρχή Αποβλήτων Ενέργειας και Υδάτων, ΡΑΑΕΥ) has indicated several times, energy companies recently significantly increased prices for electricity supply programsat the same time they posted “new offers” at low prices.

Thousands of consumers did not know about this marketing tactics.

That is, to raise the price per kilowatt-hour in existing products (electricity supply programs) and at the same time offer new ones with a different name and a lower cost per kilowatt-hour.

As a result, thousands of customers were trapped. But even if some people realized this within a year of moving from plan to plan and from operator to operator, and changed the program, in order to get a lower price, for four months they would still have to pay for all these “gestures”, tossing back and forth.

ΡΑΑΕΥ

For example, an energy company launched a new product on the market in February with a nominal price (without subsidy) of 0.145 euros per kilowatt-hour. In the same month, this program, which first appeared on the market, was the cheapest among others. Those who did not realize this and stayed with the product of the same company chosen before February paid up to 0.05 euros more per kilowatt-hour or 25% more.

Suppose these consumers noticed the difference in price and next month, in March, they changed the tariff program. In other words, they chose the aforementioned cheapest: 0.145 euros per kilowatt hour. Until June they really were extremely pleased with the low prices, not only compared to other products from the portfolio of the same company, but also compared to the market as a whole.

Three months later, the same provider increased the cost per kWh of the program by 57% in July to €0.179 per kWh, from €0.11 in June. At the same time, a particular supplier announced new product with lower tariff: €0.11 per kilowatt hour for July.

Therefore, all consumers should review the programs of both their own and other suppliers on a monthly basis to avoid this particular trap.

Newly emerging electricity programs with particularly low prices have been described by the ΡΑΑΕΥ as “monkey programs” (“προγράμματα κράχτες”)*.

** “Pρογράμματα κράχτες” are “monkey programs”. An analogue of hunting lures, decoys for attracting birds (decoy ducks, decoys for ducks). Companies “catch” (lure consumers) and then get a “hunting trophy”. Here is a marketing program.

The regulator turns its attention to consumers and states: “Many suppliers have created power supply products with very competitive priceswhich, however, only concern new rather than existing customers. It was observed that the vast majority of consumers signed up with significantly more expensive plans.”

ΡΑΑΕΥ recommends: “Consumers can ask their suppliers to transfer them to a low-fare program. The FDA encourages consumers to choose the lowest priced products and start changing the program within their supplier. This change will be made immediately and free of charge.”

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