Consumers were offered discounts for choosing agreements with longer contract periods, but according to the court, the discounts did not outweigh the disadvantages of the agreements, the Swedish Consumer Agency writes in a press release.
“It is easy to believe that a discount is a good thing, but it is difficult for consumers to set the discount in relation to long lock-in and notice periods, especially when it comes to electricity contracts with variable prices.
It is positive that the court has now limited the possibility of binding consumers for a long time ", says Johanna Nyblom, process counselor at the Consumer Ombudsman (KO) in a comment.
The ruling means that the companies are prohibited from using long lock-in and notice periods and risk a fine of SEK 1 million each if they violate the ban.