Recommendations for the business Customers Division (DCP) and the BtoB market

By ENGIE - 01 July 2025 - 11:34

In 2024, the number of mediation cases reached a very high level for “small businesses”, i.e. professionals with an electric meter with a power rating of 36 kVA or less than 30,000 kWh. There has been an increase of 102% compared with 2022 for DCP, and of 44% compared with 2023 for E&C. This type of claimant is not directly covered  by the French Consumer Code , as they do not have the same consumer status as private individuals. 
However the legislator has decreed that they benefit from certain provisions of the French Consumer Code such as, for example, the 14-limit on back-billing of consumption.

As a result, the Ombudsman fort the ENGIE Group Mediation made recommendations to the BtoB departments for improving the way these claimants are handled, in his 2023 report and then at the end of 2024. These recommendations are either in the process of being implemented or have already been followed up. 

 


Recommendations for handling the responses to be provided to the Mediation service during the analysis and solution- finding phase


With regard to customer account statements produced at the request of the Mediation service

La Médiation service has requested that customer account statement be presented in a clear and informative way, to provide claimants with a precise and enforceable explanation of the financial flows relating to customer account management (billing, payments, refunds, bill cancellations, etc). In this respect, the model proposed by the individual Consumer Division should be replicated. 

DCP’s responses: 
Implementation of this measure was started in late 2024, with an automated process via the new billing system rolled out in February 2025. The customer account statements are clearer, the headings more understandable and all the transactions (including bill cancellations, the reason for a direct debit rejection etc. ) are clearly shown. 

 

With regard to the quality of responses provided to the Mediation service following requests for information required to analyse cases

La Médiation service has asked that its request for information be treated with greatest rigor, to avoid back-and-forth exchanges and to standardise the responses produced.

DCP’s responses:
➡️With regard to the drafting of responses to request of information from the Mediation service:
Previously, each customer service assigned to handling complaints would write their response to a request for information using a blank document. In 2024, customer service representatives were provided with standard summaries/templates, in accordance with issues being dealt with, to ensure the consistency and completeness of the information provided, so that quality investigations can be carried out on the first attempt. These guides are regularly adapted, as a result of the improved quality control process put in place at the same time. 

➡️Improved quality control for responses to requests for information:

From 2024, all responses must be proofread/checked by a quality control manager before being sent to the Mediation service. 

These changes have been noted by the Mediation service for the ENGIE Group. 
 



Recommendation for improving the information provided to professional customers 


With regard to the clarity of contract renewal letters (including renewal emails)

Even though the rules governing the pre-contractual information differ from those for a consumer (in the sense of a private individual), the Mediation service has recommended improving the quality of information at key points throughout the contract term, to avoid specific types of complaint. 

DCP’s responses: 
DCP began a complete overhaul of this process in September 2024. The aim of this approach is to provide more precise and informative responses to customers, and make it easier to understand changes in tariffs before and after contract renewal, which was one of the recommendations made by the Ombudsman in his 2023 annual report. 

The completion of this work, which involves major changes in the information system, is scheduled for the first half of 2025. 
 

With regard to the Mediation’s service request for automatic adjustment of the monthly payment plan to the new prices when there is a change in tariff at the time of contractual renewal

DCP’s responses: 
The monthly payment plans were updated when the annual bills were produced, and not at the time of contract renewal. The DCP is currently examining two key measures that should be integrated into the IT system in the second half of 2025:
➡️Adjustment of the monthly payment plan when a contact is renewed, requiring the payment schedule to be modified during the terms of the monthly payment plan,
➡️Aligning the start date of the payment schedule with the contract renewal date. 
 

With regard to the Mediation team’s request for better information on cancellation fees

Following work undertaken by DCP since September 2024: 
➡️With regard to the Special Terms of Sales (STS): from 12 March 2025, they will include an informative and explanatory document with illustrated examples; this document forms part of the contractual provisions requiring the customer’s signature. 
➡️With regard to the release letter sent to prospective/future customers when they change supplier:  since January, 2025, information has been sent to the “new future customers” explaining the cancellation fees that may be incurred under their current contract (former supplier) and the fees that may be incurred in the event of early termination of the ENGIE contract. 
➡️With regard to the calculation of cancellation fees: since January 2025, a personalised module has been made available to advisers. The aim is to provide reliable information on the estimated amount of cancellation fees following a request from a customer by telephone or email.
➡️With regard to providing better information about cancellation fees on the website: the answers to the question “how do I cancel my contract?” have been rewritten to make them easier for customers to understand.