Energy giant ENGIE admits misleading customer about power prices after 'deceptive and misleading' behaviour

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Global energy company ENGIE has apologised and admitted it misled a customer trying to negotiate a better deal when it told him power prices were set by the government. The South Australian government fears more people could've been misled and wants the company prosecuted over the error by the Australian consumer watchdog.

Transcript

00:00When Fred Newman was incorrectly told that his electricity bill increase had been set

00:07by the government, he called out the lie.

00:10Now after complaining to the Energy Ombudsman, he's received an apology.

00:14I got a phone call back from their complaints resolution manager who said that he'd listened

00:20to the phone call and that indeed those words set by the government were used in error.

00:26Mr Newman suspects other Engie customers could have received the same advice.

00:31Consumers need protection and there needs to be action against this.

00:35I wouldn't be the only person that they've said that to.

00:38It's basically implying that they have a legal obligation to pay this bill.

00:43It's ridiculous and I want to see heads roll.

00:46Engie wrote to Mr Newman claiming the error was a misunderstanding by the call taker,

00:52saying its call centre scripts do not suggest governments set market prices and has delivered

00:57coaching about the importance of providing correct information.

01:01It's quite deceptive and quite misleading.

01:03They're relying on people being distracted, having other things on their plate and not

01:08concentrating and not being across the intricacies of this charging.

01:12A week ago the ABC also revealed that Engie had overcharged up to 3,000 South Australian electricity

01:18customers.

01:19The Energy Minister has referred the company to the Australian Competition and Consumer

01:24Commission.

01:25The idea that some poor call centre operator got it wrong, I'm finding it a bit hard to

01:30believe now.

01:31There's actually something else going on that needs to be investigated and there need to

01:35be prosecutions.

01:36The Federal Government declined to comment on Engie's admissions while the ACCC says it doesn't

01:42give details about complaints received or potential investigations.

01:48So that's what he knows.

01:49When we start back in, we just don't think there's going on that.

01:54And that's what he мозг obviously understands does to be decided to…

01:58Well, that's when it's been released and our goal is getting cleared and lift up the

02:01of his business.

02:02So give him something.

02:03That's what we're doing.

02:05We're starting to say in fact that the day,まず in conditional Oak Creek is on bre homelessness.

02:09I have the habit of holding cuando he stayed at a number of our bet.

02:10We have the right-line fund.

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