Consumer advocates have been taking action against the electricity and gas providers Primastrom and Voxenergie since 2022. The consumer advocates accuse Primastrom and Voxenergie of unilateral and inadmissible price increases because the two providers are said to have broken price guarantees and lacked effective general terms and conditions and a legal right to adjust prices. That is why the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv) launched two model declaratory actions against these two companies because of their unilateral price increases.
Now the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations and Primastrom and Voxenergie have reached an out-of-court agreement, as consumer advocates announce here. According to the consumer advocates, the companies have committed themselves to “reversing the price increases for the approximately 1,600 customers involved in the model declaratory actions and refunding any credit balances in full. The amounts are sometimes in the four-digit range.”
The affected Primastrom or Voxenergie customers who took part in a model declaratory action will receive refunds in the next few days, as consumer advocates write. The amounts in question may have already been refunded.
Ramona Pop, board member of vzbv: “The comparisons achieved a good result for consumers. A long legal dispute could be avoided here”. The consumer advocates continue:
“With the comparisons, the companies are withdrawing price increases. This primarily includes the drastic increases from 2021. The customers involved in the model declaratory actions will receive money back. In one case, Primastrom refunded the affected consumer more than 5,500 euros. The two providers have committed to the repayments with the settlements. The vzbv then withdrew the lawsuits before the Berlin Court of Appeal. The vzbv continues to communicate with the providers to clarify further questions.”
Reading tip: Fraudsters simply cancel your electricity contract – this is how you protect yourself
As early as September 2022, the Federal Network Agency had instructed Voxenergie GmbH and Primastrom GmbH to “retract illegal price increases towards household customers”. If the companies, both of which belong to Primaholding and both provide an address in Berlin, do not adhere to the instructions of the Federal Network Agency, the companies face a fine of 100,000 euros. You can read more about this in These electricity suppliers must withdraw price increases.
