The National Ombudsman for Energy has been created by the government to assist the consumers to find information and assistance in case of a complaint.
The Ombudsman has two main functions:
1. Inform the consumers about the opening of the market and the consumers rights
For this reason, the Ombudsman and the Commission for Energy Regulation finance another initiative, which is called "Energy info". More information is available on the website (www.energie-info.fr) or by phone (+33 810 112 212).
The website of “Energy info” also has a useful comparison tool for the offers of different energy providers in France: it compares the responsibilities of the energy operators, the role of the suppliers, the energy pricing etc.
In case of a dispute a consumer and an electricity or natural gas supplier, the consumer (or his representative) may assign the National Ombudsman for Energy to help resolve the dispute.
As a notified ADR-body, after reviewing the case and within two months following the referral, the Ombudsman can make a written and motivated recommendation to resolve the dispute.
Before contacting, you must bear in mind that the competence of the Ombudsman is limited:
- The assistance is only given concerning complaints arising from the electricity and natural gas sector.
- The Mediator can only advise individual consumers (or small businesses) who purchased no more than 36 kilovolt-amperes (KVA) of electricity or are consuming less than 30,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of natural gas per year.
- The complaints shall only be considered if they have been notified to the supplier in writing beforehand. The supplier then has a period of two months to propose a solution to the consumer.
If at the end of this period, the consumer has not received a satisfactory response, or has not received any response at all, the consumer may contact the Ombudsman within two months.
The Ombudsman cannot intervene when the dispute concerns:
- Contract conclusion
- Contracts for connection to the electricity and natural gas network
- Suppliers of bottled gas (propane, butane ...) or other energy (like fuel)
The European Consumer Center can provide you assistance when seizing the Ombudsman in case of conflict resolution.
For more information please visit this website
