Some of you have been affected by the rise in the electricity prices. I personally got cornered by mal practices. In first place it was Proxima Energia that when the prices went up, they invoice me estimated readings. Of course I didn’t really start analysing the invoice until three months later where I got hit with an electricity bill that was equivalent or higher to what I had paid in one year. I managed to move away from this company. There only crime is the fact they charged me estimated and I was not aware of the rise in costs and how they charge.
After a long ordeal which seemed at times intentionally delayed by several parties interested in charging me as much as they can while they hold on to the contract, on the 9th of December I finally managed to move across to Iberdrola with the advertised prices of 0.15, 0.16, €0.18 for the respectively for P1, P2, P3. Phew you would think. Well no. This is where my ordeal started.
- In January I received my first invoice which was yet again an estimated sum for the period of December. The consumption was estimated at 26.67 for P1, 26.67 for P2 and 163.36 for P3. I complained and they reassured me that it would be fixed.
- In February I received another estimated invoice. I complained, but they said the problem is Endesa. Well to be frankly honest, I pay and I don’t care if the problem is with Endesa or Iberdrola, I pay Iberdrola and that’s who should fix the problem. Or am I expecting too much!
- In March I received my third estimiated invoice. This is when I realized that they had also bumped up the price of P3 from €0.18 to € 0.265 over a 45% increase. Had the prices really gone up that much? I beleive not. I have seen since invoices from two other companies, from two different friends in my vicinity where the electricty price was fixed between 0.15 and 0.16. So I complained again. about the fact that I don’t want to be receiving one huge bill that does not give me any information and that does not allow me to control my consumption and have a correct understanding.
- In April and May the same thing. I give up. I fight it when the shit hits the fan.
- On 29th of June I suddenly receive 3 invoices in one go.
I observe numerous problems:
- On invoice ending in 007 the “Actual Reading” of the meter (Lectura Real) for one of the periods is incorrect. It is incorrect by an excess of 300kwh
- Invoice ending in 009 and 010 are issued after the invoice 007. If invoice 007 is actual reading, how on earth could I have spent a total sum of approximately 2800 kwh in the space of one day.
- What I feared in December had also come true. They had moved all the consumption of December to the June invoice and charged me the full consumption at the maximum price.
- Both invoice 009 and 010 are charging me for the full sum of the same periods that have already been charged. That’s to say in March and April I paid for the equipment rent, I am charged again, I paid for the KWH on contract (Energia contratada) It is charged again. The full period is fully charged.
In the first instance, I complained. They told me that they one invoice is cancelled but as I write (20/07/2022) There is no negative invoice that would indicate this is cancelled.
They have corrected the over charge of 300 kwh but they wrote me a threatening letter that if I don’t pay they will charge me interest and … As for customer service goes, Iberdrola needs to re-educate their staff. I have a direct debit with this company. They take the amount as they wish from my account. I have never had a standing debt with them.
When I called to tell them according to what I can see there are still problems, the support department of Iberdrola, simply told me on the phone that it doesn’t matter how much I want to complain, they will close any of my support tickets and will not respond.
Talking about extra charges, I have had to write them a legally certified letter which has cost hours of my time, certified post and legal assitance. I think it is only fair that these companies should reimburse you in an equal manner when they make mistakes.
As of today, I spoke to their customer support department, they call you as if you have nothing else to do and expect you to just answer their call because they have called. Yes you should be greatful that they are calling you. Why is it that they refused to help me and review things when I called the support line? Is it because now they realise they have made a mistake and I am going to show their mistakes online. They still haven’t refunded me for the mis charge of December. They won’t even acknowlege this problem.
In fact take a look at below. Even If I remove the invoice 009 which they claim that they will not charge me, here is the summary.
OK the maths is easy. I have taken the real electricity meter readings from my invoice as I ended with my last provider and moved to Iberdrola. (Incidentally it took some numerous emails and complaints to Iberdrola to respond and confirm these readings). So I take these readings and the last readings that appear on the last invoice on 11 July 2022.
| Meter Readings on 9/12/21 – Confirmed by Iberdrola |
Meter Readings on 5/7/22 As poer invoice on 11/07/22 |
This means a total consumption of:
|
However if you add up the consumption on all the invoices they have sent me you get | That makes a total difference of |
| P1. 48869
P2. 13217 P3. 5655
|
P1. 49867.74
P2. 14003.83
|
P1. 998.74
P2. 786.83 P3. 1800.35
|
P1. 1177.75
P2. 899.81 P3 2080.74
|
P1. 179.01
P2. 112.98 P3. 280.39
|
Of course even if they resolve the above, they still have not resolved or even acknowledged my complaint about the mis charge of the consumption in December at higher rates. This to me is nothing less than FRAUD. Iberdrola knows it, but they simply ignore it.
I guess we have all come across bad customer service and these type of rouge invoicing. Last year I came across another client that had been charged €600 plus for his water consumption. The meter readings were ambigous and did not match the charged sum and the company simply brushed off. The client unfortunately could not follow up due to lack of knowledge of Spanish.
Over the past 20 years of my working life in Spain, I have come across many cases like this. I saw how telecom companies would over sell, mis guide and abuse their clients. How they would leave them stranded, without connection and support. We helped many of these clients by meticoulosly analysing invoices and pinpointing errors and getting refund for clients or moving them away to other providers. Unfortuntely the mal practice and the attitude of customer service has not changed over the past twenty years. Sadly the customer support staff are the ones who take the brunt for the mal practices of these large companies whose way of tackling customer support is often what seems to be based on let the customer get tired until they forget. They have to pay the support staff anyway. So they will use them to fight you and keep your money for as long as possible.
After all it will cost you several hundred euros and unspeakable amount of time and effort to claim what you have been overcharged and you get no compensation for these errors, while they retain the right to charge you all sorts of comissions and late fee charges.
I can only hope that Iberdrola one days gets a fine for this type of activities and that the fine is used to pay back customers that have suffered and not fill up the coffers of the government.
Iberdrola, if you care to read this and care about your customers, I have plenty of experience of customer support. I would be more than happy to organise some lessons for your company.
In the meantime, if you are reading, check your electricity invoices and take monthly photographs of your consumption from your electricty meter. It is the only thing that will save you. A job that they charge you for (It is computer controlled and available via the internet for … sake’s).
Keep safe and be on top of your received invoices. If you have any complaints against Iberdrola, send us an email I would be happy to discuss and see how I can help you.