Abbanoa ends up in the antitrust crosshairs.

The Antitrust Authority has opened an investigation procedure against the company following various requests presented by users. The balance bills are in the sights.

According to what was published by the Antitrust Bulletin, "Abbanoa SpA allegedly put in place some evasive conduct of the obligations - established by the current legislative and regulatory framework for water sector operators starting from January 1, 2020 - concerning the treatment of requests for two-year prescription of credits referring to water consumption dating back to a period exceeding two years from the date of issue of the relative balance / recalculation bill, as well as with reference to the information to be provided to users, in order to facilitate the same to object to the prescription, on the basis of the procedures provided for by the new regulations ".

In particular, as reported by some consumers, the company "would have issued invoices inclusive of consumptions dating back over time that would be prescribed, without specifying or highlighting the amounts that may be prescribed". In addition, Abbanoa "would have sent users, in September 2021, bills containing, for the first time, requests for payment of default interest, referring to consumption debited in bills issued even in 2010 and paid with delay in the years immediately following".

Finally, some consumers reported, then, that Abbanoa "would not have provided feedback to the requests for recognition of the prescription presented by the same and, on the other hand, after receiving these requests, the water manager would have sent the same consumer payment reminders by way of acts interrupting the statute of limitations for bills issued many years earlier ".

(Unioneonline / D)

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