Gas supplier quits?
knock out several hundred euros from customers
Created: 08/21/2022, 17:37
By: Caroline Schäfer
Numerous gas suppliers have terminated consumers in view of the energy crisis.
However, customers can recover the damage caused by this.
Frankfurt – delivery stops, rising prices and the gas surcharge – the energy crisis is leaving desperate customers behind.
The concern that at some point you will no longer be able to pay the electricity and gas costs is growing.
But what if the gas supplier suddenly terminates the contract?
This happened to a number of households who had concluded their contracts with cheap providers such as immergrün, Stromio or gas.de, the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) consumer center reported.
The "historically unique price development in the natural gas market" forced gas.de to terminate all customers last winter, reports
Focus
, among others .
Energy Crisis: Short-Term Termination of Utilities Not Lawful
At least consumers don't have to be afraid that the gas tap will be turned off when they give notice.
Customers then fall under the tariff of their basic supplier.
In view of the energy crisis, however, this can become quite expensive.
The energy crisis is becoming a burden for many households.
© Uli Deck/dpa
However, the short-term termination of the energy supply contract does not seem to be legal.
"According to the consumer advice center, there is no legal basis for the short-term, extraordinary termination of the supply contracts, which is justified by rising procurement costs," said NRW.
Such dismissals are therefore “inadmissible”.
Energy crisis: resumption of gas supply legally possible
According to the consumer advice center, the resumption of delivery is legally possible because the companies are not insolvent.
If the supplier refuses, the re-supply of gas can be enforced in court.
However, the consumer advice center advises checking in advance whether the costs and effort are worth it.
A change of provider can make sense here.
In any case, claims for damages could be asserted.
Consumers can demand compensation for damage caused by illegal terminations by the gas provider.
“The amount of compensation depends on the additional costs.
These result from the difference between the previous tariff and the new tariff of the basic supplier or alternative energy supplier for the expected energy consumption during the remaining term of the previous contract or the price guarantee," informed the consumer advice center.
Düsseldorf Regional Court sees opportunities in lawsuits
The district court in Düsseldorf is also skeptical about the short-term layoffs.
"According to the current state of affairs and dispute, the lawsuit should also have a chance of success in principle," said a court order that was available to the
world on Sunday
.
Accordingly, suppliers should not pass on the price risk to households.
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The consumer advice center in Hesse is now offering a model declaratory action against the utility Stromio.
Consumers can easily join the process.
To do this, those affected only have to be entered in the register of complaints at the Federal Office of Justice.
In the event of a successful lawsuit, however, the claims must be asserted individually by customers.
According to Kerstin Wolf, an employee at the consumer center, it could be worth it.
On average, she expects several hundred euros in compensation per head.
In view of the Ukraine war, electricity and gas prices are skyrocketing.
Owners of gas heaters can save with a few tips.
(cheese)