Move over horror films, the latest in The Netherlands’ terrifying saga hits the news: Unsuspecting Family Hit with Six-Figure Energy Bill. 😱
An innocent man from Breda got the shock of his life when a bill for €116,936.54 of gas for September slapped him in the face.
Giel Janssens, whose usual bill was for around six cubic metres of gas, recently turned to Omroep Brabant to share his story.
Worst wake-up call ever
The 72-year-old’s first port of call, however was waking his wife, Susan, up to an early Christmas present she’d likely never forget.
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With Giel surviving the encounter, both Janssens then deduced that Essent (their energy provider) must have made a mistake.
Surely, not even the energy crisis could cough up a bill that insane…right? (Although we wouldn’t put it past energy companies to unnecessarily raise energy prices. 👀)
As the news was delivered on a Sunday — when helplines for customer service are all helpfully closed — there was little the Janssens could do.
A star is born
Out of sheer frustration, Giel emailed Omroep Brabant later that same day.
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The publication shared his story (and a screenshot of his panic-inducing energy bill).
All’s well that ends well…right?
Help, for Janssens, came in the form of a call to customer service on Monday.
After much humming, hawing, and head-scratching, it came out that the Janssens’ metre reading had been misreported. The bill, thankfully, would not need to be paid.
However, the silver lining to the Janssens’ saga darkens considerably with the knowledge that none of us are out of the woods yet.
Despite the proposed price ceiling, energy prices are still surging, and a €100,000 energy bill isn’t as fantastical as it may once have been.
What would you do if you were hit with a €100,000 energy bill? Tell us in the comments below!