Tibber changes controversial invoicing practice – NRK Vestland
Customers in Tibber can then decide for themselves whether they want to pay for actual consumption up to and including the due date, or whether they want to pay the estimated amount on the invoice.
The grip comes after what has been referred to as “a collapse of reputation” for the company.
In September, the company was in debt offense from the Consumer Protection Authority after the company changes its invoice routine with two days’ notice.
The law states that customers are entitled to 14 days’ notice when the conditions change.
Tibber explained the changes with “liquidity challenges”, higher rents, more expensive electricity and “the absence of state guarantees for Norwegian power companies”.
Until this autumn, Tibber left the current for up to 45 days before they get money from the customer.
By invoicing customers for their estimated consumption half a month in advance, this period will be shorter and the cost will be less.
The explanations were still not enough to silence the criticism, symbolized by Tibber’s resignation in December 1st to 104th place on the list of the best liked streaming companies in the country.
On Friday this week, the company announced that they are taking steps to restore trust in the company.
Quite practical in that the customer himself can check in the Tibber app where I am current, which has been consumed up to the due date, and adjust the invoice amount accordingly.
– We have been working hard
Since October, parts of the invoice that are based on “estimated consumption” have been based on anteke electricity price and anteke consumption. In December, the power company based an estimate of DKK 4.23 per kilowatt hour.
The electricity price in Norway has varied from 2 øre to over 8 kroner per kWh since August.
– With the new models, you only pay for electricity that is actually used, says Tibber boss Edgeir Aksnes.
He acknowledges that autumn has its challenges for the company, but will not say how many customers they have lost.
– Many were not satisfied with our new invoicing practice, and we have worked hard to find alternative solutions. Now we have come a little way.
He adds:
– We will continue to listen to input from customers to find the best solutions for invoicing and payment.
– The threshold for entering as a power supplier is relatively low
Several other electricity companies have also reported challenges with liquidity this autumn.
– It is a challenge that the threshold for entering as a power supplier is relatively low, while the requirement for financial strength is extra dramatic, says Mona Adolfsen in Samfunnsbedriftene.
Economist Peter Warren spoke NRK in October that the equity capital of Norwegian power companies “is generally too low in relation to the obligations they take on”.
– Straumselskapa needs to harmonize its equity in relation to increased customer volume and fluctuations. By doing this, the equity will be in proportion to the obligations they take on.
Tibber writes in his own annual report that the equity is “even lower than what the bank requires”.
In Sweden, Denmark and Finland, the authorities have set up loan guarantees in the hundreds of billions for å help company which ends up in a cash crunch due to high electricity prices.
The Norwegian government has replied that there is no need for similar measures in Norway.