Consumers do have a voice in Italy...really!!

Last year I received a gas bill from E.on for €1,455 because they had not read the meter of over 2 years. I had actually paid €900 in this period, after calls to the call centre faxes nessimo I was about to throw in the towel, my avvocato said he couldn't think of anything to do. But then I found the Associazioni Consumatori Bergamo, part of a national network I started calling Rome Associazione Consumatore the people were helpful, passed me on to Milan and then I arrived with Bergamo.

The first thing to do was to meet the consultant in his office, here in Bergamo the offive hours are 8:30-12:00 so check before you drive into town.

He strongly advised me to force E.On to grant me a meeting, which I did after insisting and just turning up. Their position was fixed no deal.

I went back to AC, signed on as a socio €35.00 for 1 year. 2 days later got an appointment with their avvocato and within 2 weeks we had a new proposal from E.On for €487.00! done deal :-)

So what is the lesson:

1)The law now says Electric ;gas or other operators cannot leave it 2 years to read youn meter. But now we do it every 2 weeks to check all is as it should be.

2) keep this org. in mind they actually are helpful and effective in the battle us expat consumers have to fight every day.