Energy Ombudsman: what you need to know, how it works

From 1 February, energy consumers will be able to contact the Energy Ombudsman to resolve disputes with suppliers and network operators regarding, inter alia, bills or consumption volumes, debt repayment procedures, billing ambiguities and problematic updates…

The appointment of the Energy Ombudsman was announced today (25/01/2024) by the President of the Waste, Energy and Water Regulatory Authority At. Dagoumas and the head of the energy department Dimitris Fourlaris, Mr. Komnenos Komnios, associate professor, member of the energy department of RAEA.

The Energy Ombudsman Service is an extension of the myrae.gr tool where consumers can submit complaints and claims. If the consumer is not satisfied with the company’s response, he can contact an ombudsman, who will review the case and offer (without the power to impose) a solution that both parties can accept or reject.

The service is intended for residential consumers of electricity and gas, and is provided free of charge in case of disputes with suppliers and distribution system operators.

According to statistics released, 6,075 queries were submitted to myrae in 2023 (compared to 12,294 in 2022, a record year due to the energy crisis), of which 10-15% were not resolved through the platform and may therefore henceforth be referred to the ombudsman .

More than 80% of calls in 2023 were related to electricity issues and 17% to gas, with half of the calls addressed to suppliers, 11% to operators, and the rest to both.

Both the appeal and the recommendation that the ombudsman develops will not be binding on either party. If the recommendation is accepted by the consumer and supplier, it will become binding.

Mr. Dagumas noted that the mediator will work under the auspices of the department, which means that if there are grounds, the case can be referred to the plenary meeting of the RAEA.

All services of the body for working with consumers will be concentrated on a single virtual website RAEY. These are 8 services including filing complaints, comparing electricity prices, energy and EV charging, energy ombudsman services, energy cost calculations, saving tips and confidential information.

In response to questions about commercial practices in the electricity market, RAEA management stated that commercial policies are set by suppliers, and management provides consumers with all the tools to draw conclusions (for example, price comparisons) and intervenes when it considers that one or another the practice is not conducive to the proper functioning of the market.

RAAEY, like the Department of Environment and Energy, leaves open the possibility of amending the supply code to implement any changes considered necessary for the proper functioning of the market and, in particular, the categorization of electricity tariffs.

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