Suche
Mein Konto
Attention Mainova customers: Surprising additional payments of up to 600 euros!
Mainova customers in Hesse may have to pay more after price controls in the energy crisis. Consumer advocates recommend objection.
Attention Mainova customers: Surprising additional payments of up to 600 euros!
The rumor mill is churning in Hesse: thousands of Mainova consumers are currently receiving mail informing them of subsequent additional demands. These concern the price brakes introduced in 2023, which were originally intended to provide financial relief during the energy crisis. The aim of these price caps was to cap the costs of gas, district heating and electricity in a difficult economic environment. For example, the price cap for gas was a maximum of 12 cents per kWh, for district heating at 9.5 cents and for electricity at 40 cents per kWh. These measures applied to 80 percent of the forecast annual consumption, as reported by hessenschau.de.
But the joy of lower costs was short-lived. Mainova admits that there were errors in the calculation of the price caps. Around 59,000 cases now require subsequent corrections, and most customers have to pay additional money. Around 49,000 households are particularly affected, with additional claims ranging between 60 and 600 euros. Consumer advocates are concerned about the lack of transparency in additional demands. Affected consumers are advised to lodge an objection in writing and to request clear comprehensibility of the calculations.
Confusion and concern among consumers
Since the beginning of September 2023, an increasing number of Mainova customers have been contacting the Hesse consumer advice center due to unclear additional demands, as the consumer advice center emphasizes in a press release. Among them is the A. family from Bürstadt, who received a debit of around 600 euros without sufficient explanations. Mr. Ulrich S. from Frankfurt received a message for 130 euros with unclear information. Mr. B. from Bad Vilbel also suspected an attempt at fraud and only received inadequate answers from Mainova.
The Hesse Consumer Center emphasizes that the additional demands are not just a problem for Hesse. The lack of clarity in the calculation bases and the flat-rate additional demands cause confusion and dissatisfaction among consumers. By law, invoices for energy deliveries must be kept clear and understandable, but the consumer advice center sees a significant need for improvement here.
Recommendations from consumer advocates
The consumer advice center therefore demands that affected customers lodge an objection in a timely manner and ask for a detailed and legally compliant calculation. A deadline of ten to fourteen days should be given to receive a response. Otherwise, it is recommended to contact the Energy Arbitration Board in Berlin if there is no response or an inadequate response from Mainova.
One thing seems certain: the uncertainty surrounding additional demands will continue to cause excitement among consumers for some time. The situation shows once again that clarity and transparency are essential when it comes to energy supply and especially when it comes to price adjustments.