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Ananova
:
German
Electricity Company Sued For Being Kind To Customers
GERMANY - A
German electricity company has been forced to pay compensation after
being kind to customers.
Bewag thought everybody
would welcome its decision to slash prices by a third. But a customer
successfully sued the firm after claiming it must have overcharged him
in the past to be able to afford such generosity.
Lawyer Manfred Terhedebruegge,
who represented the unnamed consumer, was awarded £1,600 after
arguing in court that Bewag had broken German laws which say state electricity
should be sold as cheaply as possible. He believes other customers could
get a similar refund.
Mr Terhedebruegge
brought his action after Bewag knocked a third off the price of one
kilowatt hour of electricity two years ago.
He was certain overcharging
was the reason the company could suddenly afford such a large price
cut.
The district court
in Berlin agreed with Mr Terhedebruegge's argument and told Bewag to
give him a refund.
Bewag, which supplies
electricity around Berlin, says it is not upset by the ruling - which
it sees as a one-off.
A spokesman says:
"This verdict is unique. It overturns the norms in all similar
cases."
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