Nuon services

Customer focus

We regard achieving a greater customer focus among our employees as one of the keys to achieving structural improvements in our services. We consequently devote considerable efforts to increasing awareness and employee training.

Consumer & Energy Supplier Code of Conduct

Nuon complies with branch organisation EnergieNed’s code of conduct, which gives guidance on achieving good and honest relationships between suppliers and customers. Nuon actively contributed to the code of conduct, which provides guidance for consumers and suppliers on customer acquisitions, customer contacts and contract terminations.

'Klantenman'

We take every statement from (potential) customers showing dissatisfaction with Nuon extremely seriously, and treat these as complaints. Complaints are handled by our Customer Care Centre (CCC). If no agreement is reached even after a first and second solution have been proposed, the complaint is passed on to the ‘Nuon Ombudsman’, known as the ‘Klantenman’.

The Klantenman works independently of the CCC. The Klantenman makes an objective assessment of the responses to a complaint, based on the Ombudsman principle. The Klantenman’s decision is not binding since the customer still has the option of presenting a complaint to the Disputes Commission.

The Energy and Water Disputes Committee

The Energy and Water Disputes Committee is an independent body to which customers can submit their disputes with energy companies. In principle, the customer may always appeal to the Disputes Committee. But we naturally prefer to solve the complaint ourselves, so we always try to take a complaint through our entire complaints process first. However, after the Klantenman has given his opinion, the customer still has the option of taking the matter to the Disputes Committee. The decision of the Disputes Committee is binding on both the customer and Nuon.

Debt assistance and contract termination

Our debt collectors are sometimes confronted with distressing situations when visiting customers at home. Besides having trouble paying their energy bill, some of these customers seem to be unable to look after themselves or other members of the household. They may require professional assistance. Nuon is committed to ensuring that these customers are offered help.

Nuon’s collection policy is designed to prevent problem debts arising or building up among clients. Nuon pursues a strict but fair collection policy for that purpose. Since 2005, it has signed various covenants with local municipal health departments, debt support agencies and credit institutions such as the Netherlands Association for Municipal Credit Banks (NVVK) on the exchange of personal details. Within the limits of the Data Protection Act, these covenants enable us to notify institutions in good time of situations where customers need help as a result of psychiatric and/or psychosocial problems. This avoids a situation in which the grid manager cuts off energy supplies to customers in need of help.

Possibilities for repayment arrangements have also been increased. If a customer has a medical declaration showing that disconnection could create severe health risks, supply contracts are not terminated. In such cases, Nuon’s policy is to consider ways to prevent any further increase in debts, in conjunction with the client.

A ministerial decree on energy disconnections took effect on 3 December 2006. This ensures that grid managers can only cut off clients in the period from 1 October to 1 April if they refuse debt mediation, in cases of fraud or if the customer has no supplier. Nuon in fact goes a step further than the ministerial decree in its policy implementation, by maintaining this policy all year round.

Covenants and our proactive debt prevention policy mean contract termination is less and less often necessary.