Stéphane Vadepied was taken aback by the unexpected amount of 5,542.42 euros that he had to withdraw from his account in order to regularize his electricity bill for the period 2022-2023/early 2024. The resident of Noues-de-Sienne in Calvados had been a customer of supplier Eni Gas & Power since 2021. Initially, he paid 130 euros per month for his electricity, but the company increased the price per kilowatt/hour without prior notice. Although Eni claimed that they had sent him a mail in August 2023 warning about the increase, Stéphane felt betrayed by the sudden surge in his bill.
Stéphane’s monthly electricity bill had jumped significantly due to the lack of communication from Eni about any changes in pricing. Living in a renovated and isolated 78m2 house where he only heated himself to 19 degrees, he struggled to comprehend why he was being charged such a large amount of money. He joined a Facebook group of disgruntled customers and discovered that others were facing similar issues with their bills. After negotiations with Eni, Stéphane was able to secure two reductions on his bill, bringing it down to 2,300 euros. However, despite being offered a payment installment plan by Eni, Stéphane found this amount excessive and refused to pay it.
Feeling misled by the lack of transparency from Eni regarding their pricing changes, Stéphane reached out for help from UFC Que Choisir. His contract with Eni was set to expire in September 2024 and he was determined to resolve this issue before then. Despite several attempts at communication with Eni, Stéphane felt like his concerns were being ignored and decided to take legal action against them for misrepresentation and fraudulent practices.
