All complaints concern cases where the customer first tried to resolve the dispute with the company but was unsuccessful and therefore turned to the Consumer Energy Market Agency. The complaints are, among other things, about agreements that have been concluded even though a person has refused an offer or never had contact with the company. There are also allegations that signatures were falsified after people refused to sign an agreement with a company.

- I guess it pays to sign agreements and invoice customers even though there are disputes about agreements and invoices, says Anna Carlén, CEO of the Consumer Energy Agency.

So that is conscious error, not misunderstanding?

- It can be both misunderstandings and conscious choices that companies make.

Complicated market

One of the explanations for the problems is the complexity of the electricity market, says Anna Carlén. It is difficult for customers to navigate among agreements, prices and information.

- There is a great responsibility on the customer to dispute invoices that have become incorrect and there is fairly poor protection for the customers in the electricity market, she says.

In 2019, there will be a total of about 1400 complaints. The Consumer Energy Market Agency does not disclose how many complaints each of the companies received. But the majority is aimed at the six companies on the list. The agency has analyzed complaints received over time and highlighted the companies that have received so many complaints that they deviate from the normal level, in relation to how many customers they have.

Why do you publish company names?

- It is in demand by consumers. Those who call us and sign electricity contracts want to know if we get many complaints about any specific company, says Anna Carlén.