‘Energy companies hide variable rate contracts'

That says the Consumers’ Association, which has viewed the websites of 27 providers. By law, providers are obliged to make such a contract easy to find on the site.

There was no monthly terminable contract at all with energy suppliers Vandebron and Clean Energy. It could only be requested by telephone or e-mail. According to the Consumers’ Association, it is therefore unclear whether the rate offered for one consumer is the same as for another consumer.

Six other suppliers, Coolblue Energie, Energie Direct, Engie, Essent, United Consumers and Vattenfall, do offer a model contract. The rates for these contracts are only visible after data has been entered, according to the association.

According to the consumer organisation, this is also undesirable, because it makes it difficult to check whether the prices are the same for all consumers, regardless of the zip code. It is also not clear what companies do with the data.

Same

The conditions of a model contract must be the same for all providers. For example, it concerns a contract for an indefinite period that can be terminated on a monthly basis, with a variable rate. Energy suppliers are allowed to determine the level of the tariff themselves.

With the current high energy prices, it is important to be able to make comparisons, according to the Consumers’ Association. Supervisor Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) previously reprimanded several energy companies that had temporarily stopped offering model contracts. That is not allowed.

Energy supplier Vandebron acknowledges that the model contracts could not be found on the site, but that this is now the case. According to a spokesperson, the decision was made to only offer this contract by telephone with the reason “to be able to advise the customer as best as possible during turbulent times in the energy market with rising prices and even bankruptcies of other suppliers,” the company said in a statement. .

Vandebron says it takes consumer feedback very seriously, especially when it concerns more transparent communication. All customers who inquire about a model contract during the same period will be offered the same rates and conditions, the company assures.

Clean Energy has not yet responded.