Espen, 52, complained to the electricity company – and got free electricity for six months

Fjordkraft failed to document that it informed Espen Bråthen (52) of the right to withdraw – and it cost it NOK 23,000.

After an extensive complaints process, the Givnaker man was compensated for all the electricity bills he had paid for almost half a year.

– I have a black belt in consumer economics – and I take advantage of every opportunity I have to shine at the expense of big companies, he himself tells VG.

He was cursed

On December 20 last year, Braathen received a text message from the energy company Fjordkraft. VG saw the text message.

– They increased the profit margin on the monthly price by NOK 10, and increased the price per kilowatt hour by NOK 2.

Bråthen says he was cursed, and was in no way satisfied with the agreement he had made with the company.

Two days later he read VG.

There, through an article, I learned that electricity companies may owe customers billions, he says.

It turned out that many electricity companies did not adequately inform subscribers of the right to withdraw when they signed agreements with the company.

– I reviewed the email correspondence and text messages, and found that I did not receive a right of withdrawal form, says Bråthen.

Basically, the law grants a right of withdrawal for 14 days, but after that the company must submit a Right of Withdrawal form. If the company does not provide sufficient information, you have the right to withdraw for 12 months.

– Expensive intermediaries

Clutch wanted to take advantage of it. He also consulted the Consumer Council on this matter.

But it was not easy at all – Fjordkraft never agreed that the electricity bills should be paid.

– They tried to alert me that there is something called the right of withdrawal model. But it doesn’t matter what you’re introduced to. They should offer a right-of-withdrawal model as a permanent means, Brathen says.

He asked Fjordkraft to document that they sent him a right of withdrawal form. Although the company eventually acknowledged the extension of the cancellation period, it refused to refund the electricity costs from the date of the request until the right of cancellation was exercised.

Bråthen did not reach an agreement with Fjordkraft. Finally, he was encouraged to send a complaint to El Clajeminda.

As said, so done.

VG has seen the complaint – which also contains the dialogue between the customer and the electricity company.

In addition to the bills he paid, Brathen also demanded payment of electricity subsidies from the company.

– It bothers me to no end that electricity companies in Norway have no purpose at all. They buy electricity from the supplier and sell it to customers. Brathen thinks it’s an expensive broker.

I got NOK 23,000 back

The complaint was sent in February – and has not been dealt with at the time of writing.

In October this year, Fjordkraft reached out and requested an amicable resolution in exchange for withdrawing the complaint.

VG has seen the email in which Fjordkraft confirms that it will now make a payment of NOK 19,075.

In addition, Bråthen stated that he had previously recovered around NOK 4,000.

– The 10 kroner and 2 kroner they wanted from me instead turned into 23,000 kroner that they had to pay me, he told VG.

This covers electricity bills and electricity subsidies from the time it entered into the agreement in June – until it exercised the right of withdrawal in January.

– It’s the first line

Fjordkraft informed VG that it did not wish to comment on individual cases.

– Collagenmda has a long processing time. The Court and other actors have encouraged us to find solutions with clients in cases that are similar or comparable to cases already decided by the Court. In this regard, we found a solution that the customer agreed to, Fjordkraft communications consultant John Ekland said in a comment to VG.

He disagrees with ESPN that electricity suppliers are expensive middlemen.

– Electricity suppliers are the ones who inform producers of expected consumption and are the first line to the entire energy market. We help with much more than the services we provide ourselves and explain both the policy and approved pricing models for online rentals to many of our clients. We also provide application services that allow reducing electricity rental and network costs.