Customer Vattenfall is right in court: energy tariffs have been increased too often

The Amsterdam District Court ruled last week that the client was right, but the pronunciation was only released yesterday. According to the Consumers’ Association, the decision may have far-reaching consequences, but Vattenfall itself claims that it concerns the case of an individual customer.

Unable to change quickly

It all hinges on the fact that Vattenfall raised prices several times last year, while the energy provider’s website says this can only happen twice in a few years with a variable contract. A price increase, effective April 1 last year, was also announced just ten days earlier. It was too short in advance, the customer thought.

Vattenfall himself says that the war in Ukraine created a special situation that had never happened before. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, gas prices on the gas markets rose sharply, which forced Vattenfall to face extremely high purchase prices.

But the Amsterdam court does not agree with this reasoning. Since Vattenfall announced the change so soon in advance, it was no longer possible for the customer to quickly switch to another energy supplier, for example.

“Could have serious consequences”

“It is also important that the court indicates that what is meant by exceptional circumstances is only clear when there is an actual rate change. This should already be clear to the consumer when entering into a contract,” said a spokesperson for the Consumers’ Association. told the ANP news agency. .

“Therefore, this may have significant consequences for energy suppliers who have changed tariffs more than twice a year on the basis of this unfair change clause.”

“The terms and conditions are clear”

The court prohibited Vattenfall from implementing the tariff increase of April 1, 2022 for the customer. But Vattenfall disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal. “We believe that the general conditions clearly describe in which cases the prices can be modified”, answers a spokesperson.