NEON Annual Report: Number of Complaints Stable, but Issues Remain
This week, NEON has published its Annual Report for the year 2017. The reports provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of NEON and of the activities of its members, based on members’ complaint data. In 2017 the number of complaints remained stable, with NEON members treating almost 90 000 disputes, mostly related to invoicing (average share of 25%) and metering (average share of 22%).
NEON Members Exchange on Complaints Related to Smart Meters
On the 19th of September NEON members met in Dublin to exchange experiences on complaints related to smart meters. The workshop showed that, in the countries that have already initiated the roll-out, complaint numbers do not seem to have been significantly impacted. Looking specifically at complaints data, smart-meter-related complaints seem to follow traditional meter-related complaints, with a high number of disputes related to billing and the installation process. Despite this relatively positive state of affairs, members agreed that clear, accurate and consistent information was needed to counter distrust and avoid creating overly-high expectations related to the benefits of those meters.
Market Design Trilogues: Co-legislators Acknowledge Role of Public-interest ADR Bodies
The negotiations between the European Parliament, the Member States (EU Council) and the Commission on the proposal to review the Directive on common rules for the internal market in electricity (the so-called "Market Design" Directive) are underway since June. NEON had repeatedly called for the Council to not leave consumers “in the dark” by upholding the Parliament’s amendments to the article on the right to out-of-court dispute settlement. While discussions regarding the mandatory participation of traders in out-of-court dispute settlement are still ongoing, it increasingly looks like co-legislators have agreed to keep the mention to independent ADR mechanisms implemented by energy ombudsmen or national regulatory authorities. A final agreement on the text should be reached by the end of the year.
NEON at the Dublin Citizens’ Energy Forum
This year, the EU Citizens’ Energy Forum (formerly known as the “London Forum”) was held for the first time in Dublin. This year also marked the 10th anniversary of the Forum, which was launched in 2008 as a dedicated platform to implement and enforce consumer rights in energy markets across the European Union. The Forum focused on the new possibilities offered by the “Clean Energy Package” and also discussed the “New Deal for Consumers” policy package presented in April 2018. NEON was well represented at the event, with NEON President Lewis Shand Smith moderating the session on the New Deal for Consumers. In its conclusions, the Forum calls for mandatory ADR schemes to help consumers “independently of the service provided or the damage suffered”.
European Commission Publishes Study on Pre-contractual Information and Billing in the Energy Market
The study “Pre-contractual information and billing in the energy market – improved clarity and comparability”, analyses minimum requirements and options for the standardisation of energy offers and bills. It also examines price comparison tools and the main factors discouraging energy consumers from switching, with a focus on the impact of exit fees on their decision. Covering all EU Member States plus Iceland and Norway, the study was carried out between December 2016 and March 2018 and includes the input provided by NEON at the time.
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