Vilnius to take energy co to court over EUR 190,000 overpayment for heating

The city council should decide on the matter later on Wednesday. The municipality said the claim would be 190,000 euros, with suits to be filed by 20 institutions. Private companies are also invited to join in.

“The sum of the claim has been calculated by the heating bills of every institution over the period, as well as in light of the possible overpayment of 5 percent for heating as a result of deals between Vilniaus Energija and Bionovus,” Vilnius Vice-Mayor Valdas Benkunskas told BNS. In his words, the municipality’s claim is 46,000 euros.

The vice-mayor said the claim is based on the Competition Council’s decision about restricted market competition.

Nerijus Mikalajunas, spokesman for Vilniaus Energij a, said municipal companies were not charged extra for heating, noting that the claim would be void.

The Competition Council slapped a 19-million-euro fine on Vilniaus Energija in December 2015 for signing a deal with First Opportunity (formerly Bionovus), an Estonia-registered biofuel supplier, to purchase biofuel exceptionally from the latter company for a period of five years. In the watchdog’s opinion, the agreement may have adversely affected competition and consumers.