Energy companies are concerned about expected payment problems if customers receive their annual statements. Many people pay so low a month for their energy costs that they have to pay a large sum at the end of the year.

At Vattenfall, one in ten customers pay €200 less per month than they should. De Telegraaf writes about that day. The company said Already early July That customers are trapped by the high prices.

A spokesperson for Eneco says these concerns are shared. With them, one in ten customers currently has to pay an amount equal to three installments in the annual settlement. This amount varies and is related to consumption.

Essent also recognizes the image and draws the attention of its customers to it. The company does not disclose how much customers pay less than they should.

According to Vattenfall, some people set their premium amount too low because they simply can’t afford it. But there are also people who reduce their consumption. With an app, people see how much they use in the summer, and because this is less than the premium amount, they adjust it downward.

But this is unrealistic, says the spokesperson. “The vast majority of what you use for energy is in the winter months. Those three or four months pretty much determine your annual amount.”

Despite the concerns, Vattenfall doesn’t want to stop people from adjusting their premium amount down by themselves. “We’ve tried this in the past, but then we’ve had complaints. People want to decide for themselves,” says a company spokesperson. Additionally, it can also give people some financial freedom to adjust the premium amount downward, even if the bill comes at the end.

At Eneco, if their premium amount is adjusted upward by Eneco, customers can adjust the amount downward by themselves by up to 20 percent online. If people want to pay less, they have to contact the company. The company says whether Eneco allows it varies from case to case.

“The most important thing is that we then communicate with the customer, and then we can also go ahead with arranging the payment if necessary.” Eneco says that sometimes it’s best to have a very low premium when people can’t really pay it. “If you never allow a cut, people will get into trouble right away. But we try to discourage it and refer them for help.”

Energy contract costs have skyrocketed in the past year. of the characters that new At gaslicht.com, it appears that a new energy contract now costs an average of €6,500 per year. That’s 4,000 euros more than last year.

The rates for people whose annual contract has expired, for example, or for people who were already on a variable contract might be lower.

The company says that €6,500 applies especially to people who have to enter into a new contract, because they move from a rented house where energy costs were included to a rented house where it was not.

Gaslicht.com says they have seen a significant increase in price, especially in recent weeks. At the beginning of July, the average price of a power contract was still €5,300. Especially as the gas pipeline concern Nord Stream 1 The price has gone up.

There is no telling where the price will go. “We haven’t tested this before, I wouldn’t expect,” a Wattenfall spokesperson said.