From 1 January 2016 Energy Act obliges energy suppliers required to provide a consumer at his request, truthful and complete information necessary to effect change energy supplier.
"Our long-term monitoring of the energy market and the experience of our organized mass change energy suppliers suggests that consumers often do not know whether entered into a contract for the supply of energy for an indefinite or fixed period. If they know that they have a fixed-term contract, they are not always sure when ends. Moreover, often have a misconception about the duration of the contract, "says Luke Green, head of the legal department Dtest.
Since 2006, when it is possible to change electricity supplier, and since 2007, when it is possible to change gas supplier, many people lured to switch suppliers. Later it turned out that it was not as convenient as it initially seemed. One of the reasons was the automatic extension of existing contracts for the supply of energy for a fixed period during which the consumer contract negotiation might not even notice.
"Consumers believe that, for example, signed a contract for two or three years and that after that period, they extend the contract for an indefinite period, and it will then be able to terminate without penalty. This, however, does not occur. Part of temporary contracts is an article which will extend the contract for another fixed term if the consumer within a specified period disagrees with such an extension, "says Luke Green. Then the contract can not be terminated at all or just paying the penalty, the amount consumers can unpleasantly surprise.
Consumers according Dtest complain that some suppliers refused to disclose the duration of the contract, the notice period or the amount of the contractual penalty for the premature termination of the contract and refer them to their contract and business conditions. It is then difficult for them to trace this information.
While the contractor is obliged to consumers about the content of the contract at his request, notify pursuant to the provisions of the Civil Code. The consumer has the right to know all the relevant information about the contract with the entrepreneur before entering into the contract, the more likely therefore has no such right after the conclusion of the contract. "If suppliers do not provide consumers with the information about their contract, they act not only against good morals or illegal," he says Luke Green.
The obligation to provide consumers with information regarding their contracts now energy suppliers also imposes Energy Act. "Energy Law after the amendment explicitly states that existing energy supplier and the supplier to which the consumer passes are required to disclose in respect of a change energy supplier truthful and complete information. Such data will certainly include information on the duration of the contract and contractual penalties related to the termination of a contract for the supply of energy, "says Green.
The ERO proposes to include information about the duration of the contract and in the energy bill. However, it has prevented some suppliers, while also referring in particular to the amendment to the Energy Act, under which the consumer information about the duration of the contract with the supplier request.
Source: tz dTest.cz
