AGCM

The fine was imposed for failing to comply with a previous Authority decision. Indeed, Facile Energy has never stopped the practice of activating unsolicited electricity and gas supplies

The Italian Competition Authority has fined Facile Energy S.r.l. 1.5 million euro for non-compliance. The company failed to follow up on the Authority’s notice of December 2022 to cease their unfair practices.

Specifically, the proceedings concerned the adoption of various unfair practices aimed at the unsolicited activation of electricity and gas supply contracts, and also the failure to comply with the required obligations, in such circumstances, to guarantee consumers both the return to their previous points of supply and the right not to pay any amounts invoiced.

Investigations by the Authority revealed that this conduct had not ceased and that Facile Energy was therefore in breach of the fine decision. In fact, the Italian Competition Authority has continued to receive complaints from consumers, around 400, relating to:

• the activation of electricity and gas supply contracts, mainly by means of teleselling, in the absence of any actual display of consumer willingness and through the use of manipulated telephone recordings and misleading and/or omissive information;
• the consequent demand for undue payments, even pending complaints;
• the disconnection or threat of disconnection of the withdrawal point pending complaints or without due notice;
• the construction of obstacles to the right of withdrawal.

Rome, 21 December 2023