Official statistics show that complaints against Danish electricity suppliers have risen more than fourfold, from 116 cases in 2019 to 514 in 2024, with a sharp 106 percent jump in the last year alone, as some companies have repeatedly failed to comply with their legal duty to refund customer overpayments within four weeks.
The surge in cases brought before Ankenævnet på Energiområdet, Denmark’s energy complaints board, is cited by consumer organisations as evidence of serious structural problems in how some electricity companies handle customer money. Companies are legally required to issue a final settlement and return any overpaid aconto within four weeks of a customer switching supplier or moving. Yet hundreds of households must now escalate disputes to formal complaint bodies just to recover their own funds.
When Companies Treat Your Money as Their Cash Flow
Under Danish consumer law, electricity providers must prepare a slutafregning no later than four weeks after a customer changes supplier. The rule is straightforward. The practice is not. Consumer advisers now tell customers to treat overdue refunds as debt owed by the company and to add statutory interest at the lending rate plus eight percentage points. According to Forbrugerrådet Tænk, that approach reflects how normalized delays have become.
For internationals living in Denmark, the process is particularly opaque. Key terms like acontosaldo and målepunkts ID are mainly used in Danish-language guidance and documentation. Companies can exploit this confusion with complex settlement rules and account registration requirements that many new arrivals miss entirely.
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The April 2026 Crackdown on Electricity Suppliers
In April 2026, Velkommen A/S and Nettopower ApS were given a three-month karantæne from the electricity DataHub, preventing them from taking on new customers. This followed earlier Forsyningstilsynet injunctions issued in May 2025, which ordered the companies to immediately repay all outstanding balances to former customers. Power Fuel A/S separately received a three-month karantæne under a distinct regulatory decision. These actions were linked to serious problems in how customer balances and settlement information were handled, including missing and delayed information, under new rules that came into force in 2026.
According to Forsyningstilsynet, the regulator ordered immediate repayment of outstanding balances and, in cooperation with Energinet, later imposed the DataHub karantæne preventing the companies from taking on new customers for three months. Customers, however, continued reporting difficulties getting refunds. Advisory sites now instruct people to show up physically at company offices on Amager to demand immediate bank transfers.
The companies have introduced an additional hurdle: customers must manually register a specific refund account and email confirmation saying “Jeg har registreret min tilbagebetalingskonto” before payment is processed. According to consumer advisers, many other utilities simply pay to the customer’s NemKonto. This extra step is likely to be missed by many internationals unfamiliar with Danish administrative norms.
The 59 Day Wait
If money still has not arrived 59 days after registration, customers are advised to escalate to Ankenævnet. The 160 kroner complaint fee is refunded if the customer wins or if the company pays before adjudication. But the process requires documentation in Danish and written records that many phone-based customer interactions do not provide.
Why This Matters Beyond Denmark
Sweden’s equivalent energy complaints body has seen stable case volumes over the past five years, in the low hundreds annually. According to Ankenævnet statistics, Denmark’s 342 percent increase over the same period stands out sharply. Both countries have similar consumer protections on paper. The difference lies in enforcement and company culture.
According to Statistics Denmark, residents with foreign backgrounds account for roughly 15 to 16 percent of Denmark’s population, with non-nationals making up 10 to 12 percent according to Eurostat. Tens of thousands of internationals are exposed to these billing practices without tailored guidance. According to Eurostat, Danish household electricity prices are among the higher in the EU, and volatility in spot markets means advance payments can exceed actual consumption for extended periods, potentially creating sizeable temporary credits on customer accounts that some companies appear to treat as interest-free working capital.
What You Can Do
If you are owed money, collect documentation first. Recent bills, final settlement notices, bank statements, Betalingsservice receipts and portal screenshots. Then contact the company in writing, using the word “klage” in the subject line and setting a seven to ten working day deadline.
If the provider does not respond or refuses to pay, file a formal complaint with Ankenævnet på Energiområdet. Pay the 160 kroner fee, which you get back if you win. Notify Forsyningstilsynet in parallel if statutory settlement deadlines are ignored. Under Denmark’s interest rules, you can add interest from the contractual due date or 30 days after demanding payment at the lending rate plus eight percentage points.
If payments were debited without your consent after a supplier transfer, contact your bank within 13 months to object and demand reversal. According to Forbrugerombudsmanden, companies need separate consent both for transferring the contract and for transferring the Betalingsservice mandate. Many do not bother.
Consumer organisations argue the combination of regulatory injunctions and marketing bans is necessary because standard channels have failed to deter serious, repeated withholding. The sharp rise in complaint decisions at Ankenævnet supports that view. Some commentators and business media have warned that aggressive sanctions may push already indebted providers into insolvency, disrupting supply for thousands. Consumer groups and some commentators argue that the current cases show how fragile parts of Denmark’s liberalised electricity market have become.
