/TAKING ACTION / MEDIATION ACTIVITY IN 2023
The agreement stipulates:
• the promotion, by each ombudsman, of the
contact details of the other to enable con-
sumers to be aware of available remedies and
to choose their ombudsman;
• the transfer of cases between them that
they cannot handle within their own areas
of competence
the annual assessment of the convention
and the publication of this assessment in
the activity report of each ombudsman
All these criteria have been met because:
• Regarding the promotion of contact
details:
- both mediators have referenced each other
on their websites;
- they have published the signed agreement
online;
the Consumer Ombudsman for the ENGIE
Group has also informed claimants that they
have the option to appeal to the MNE both
in letters and in email replies if the pro
posed solution is rejected
• With regard to transfers (of which the
number is comparable to last year):
- mediators passed on to each other
f iles that did not fall within their area of
responsibilities;
- they have also consulted each other when
an applicant simultaneously contacts them
for the same request and potentially trans
ferred it
lastly as provided by the Energy Code arti
cle L1221 the MNE has handled requests
from applicants who have approached them
following disagreement with the proposed
amicable solution of fered by the Consumer
Ombudsman for the ENGIE Group
A respected agreement
In 2015, the National Energy Ombudsman (MNE) and the Consumer Ombudsman for the ENGIE Group
signed an agreement. Each year, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, an assessment
of its operational implementation has been conducted.
More specif ically the transfers in 2023 were as follows
BALANCE sheet for individuals
Outside the scope
competence
Claimants who have applied
to 2mediators in parallel or who have
started an investigation with the MNE
Applicants to the MNE following
ENGIE mediation
From the Ombudsman
for the ENGIE Group to the MNE
5 6 56
From the MNE to the Ombudsman
for the ENGIE Group
0 0
Source Consumer Ombudsman for the ENGIE Group
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starting point for this deadline is the date of receiving the
request, even if the dossier is incomplete. The significant
increase in complaints at the customer and consumer services of
ENGIE’s Consumer Division largely explains the extension of the
average processing time for mediation requests. This delay has
had a ripple ef fect on Ombudsman’s response time to claimants.
Additionally, if these services do not respond within 2 months,
the claim becomes eligible for mediation. Another consequence
of this surge in complaints was the Ombudsman’s handling of
disputes not yet addressed by customer or consumer services.
By fall 2023, ENGIE’s Consumer Division had been reorganised
and strengthened. (see p. 18-19).
Crisis-specif ic dispute resolution methods were shared between
this consumer service and the Ombudsman, resulting in better
alignment and time optimisation. Similarly, the Ombudsman
standardised their approach to these disputes.
All of these actions contributed to preventing further delays in
processing mediation cases.
Setting aside cases directly tied to price increases during the
crisis, which underwent standardised mediation procedures, the
bulk of other received cases were intricate, involving multiple
concurrent issues. This signif icantly lengthened investigation
times, for both suppliers or distributors and Mediation alike.
This was especially notable in 2023 for disputes involving ENGIE
Home Services, the Group’s energy service provider, where the
average mediation processing time stretched to 81 days. The
recommendation to “Accept the implementation of a ‘Method
Agreement’ mediation solution that formalises the parties’
future responsibilities” aims to streamline the processing time
for these cases (see page 32). Additionally, a reorganisation at
this subsidiary level also led to processing dif f iculties for com-
plaints at the customer and consumer services.
The rate of disputes resolved amicably reached 84% this
year on average (compared to 87% in 2022).
The rate of disputes resolved amicably reached 84% this year
on average (compared to 87% in 2022). For energy suppliers to
individuals, it stands at 84%. For disputes related to services
involving ENGIE Home Services, this rate reaches 72%. This
averaged agreement rate remains commendable in a period
where many claimants found themselves pressured by bills they
were utterly unable to af ford.
51%
of claimants contacted
the Ombudsman via
the online form in 2023
%