Utility bills, from prices to unsolicited contracts: the practical guide to not getting it wrong

In the run-up to the end of the 'greater protection' clause for electricity bills, which will come into effect at the end of June, call centres are increasingly pressing consumers to change operator, often under threat of supply interruptions or exorbitantly expensive bills. But how can one defend oneself against persistent or aggressive phone calls that often result in an attempt to cheat customers? To allow everyone to avoid nasty surprises, the Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment (Arera), which has just launched an institutional radio and TV campaign to indicate all the tools available to consumers ("Ask Arera"), has prepared a series of tutorials that will be published in the next few weeks: the first two, already on line, are dedicated to call centres and doubts about the upcoming deadlines that will affect the electricity market.

Let's start with the tools to avoid scams or unsolicited contract activations. What must one do to protect oneself? The campaign launched by the Authority chaired by Stefano Besseghini explains in a few very clear steps what precautions need to be taken, some 'golden rules' that are easy to put into practice. First of all, when you receive a call from a call centre, you must remember that the caller is obliged to clearly identify himself, stating on whose behalf he is calling and the purpose of the call, and to tell you, if you ask, how he got your telephone number. You should also bear in mind that no authority calls to propose commercial contracts.

During the telephone call, then, suggests the Arera message, one should never provide the Pdr and Pod codes, which are the identification numbers of the gas and electricity meter and are necessary for the change of supply. These are 'sensitive' data that can give rise to deception if they end up in the wrong hands: for this reason, therefore, they should only be provided if you intend to change your contract and if the conditions proposed by the telephone operator have been clearly explained and well understood by the consumer.

The telephone contract normally becomes binding only after written confirmation. For other modalities, explicit consent of the consumer is required, which must be retained and made available upon request. If, on the other hand, the consumer chooses consent by telephone, one can ask for protection if the telephone call is recorded. If you are interested, the consumer can and should take the time to evaluate the offer and, if necessary, can always make a comparison with other offers on the market via the Arera Offers Portal (www.ilportaleofferte.it).

When examining the price, one must always verify that the cost advertised by the operator actually corresponds to the final cost that will appear on the bill. It must be clear and specified, therefore, whether the offer is a fixed or variable price and whether it includes other goods or additional services that could increase the cost beyond the forecasts made by the person who contacts the user by telephone to propose a change of current supply.