GDF Suez inflate bills its customers
August 26, 2010 – 2:44 pmConsumer complaints accumulated against GDF-Suez. According to Le Parisien / Today in France on Thursday, many of the 10 million customers of the incumbent complain of "questionable practices" by the group, to inflate the bills. "In 2009, 41% of the total number of claims related to GDF Suez", or 5740 complaints in 2009 and already 3600 complaints in 2010, notes in the daily Guillaume Girot, chief recommendations to the energy ombudsman . And the UFC-Que Choisir makes the same conclusion. According to the Consumers' Association, 170 local branches are all the same discontent of customers who dispute the invoices sent by GDF-Suez.
At issue primarily a billing based on consumption estimates inflated.Most consumers are paying too full every month, which shall not be refunded at the end of the year after their meter reading by a technician GrDF. "One way to make cash on the backs of customers," the Parisian court … when the reimbursement is made right. However, "the billing calculations are so complicated that it must have been Polytechnique understand!" Says the Ombudsman. Not so obvious for the consumer to assess the accuracy of its reimbursement.
Smart Meters
Customers also complain that the retroactive application of rate increases. These increases are authorized by the state so that the operator can affect changes in commodity prices. But the increase should in no way interfere retroactively. A consumer reports and a rate increase occurred on 1 April 2010 he was charged in mid-2009.An increase equivalent to a few euros a month, but could pay big overall GDF Suez, whose annual sales have peaked at 79.9 billion euros annually by 2009.
One possible solution to end the abuses of billing based on estimates is the introduction of smart meters. An EU Directive stipulates that 80% of the French population is equipped in 2020. But for now, the experiment in some French regions has not been very convincing, the counter having proved costly with no real gain for the consumer.
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