The San Miguel Court of Appeals upheld a constitutional protection appeal and ordered Enel Distribución to remove from the bill of a customer in Pedro Aguirre Cerda a charge of 434,135 pesos plus interest, as Chile's Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC) had ruled. The company had not complied with that ruling, The Clinic and Diario Constitucional reported on October 16.
The court described Enel's failure as unlawful and arbitrary and gave it 15 days from the moment the ruling becomes final to comply. The case comes while the SEC is pursuing charges against the same utility over more than 56,000 meters that allegedly record consumption with no appliances switched on. Here is what happened and how to dispute a high electricity bill in Chile.
The high Enel bill: what happened in Pedro Aguirre Cerda
According to the ruling as reported by The Clinic, from 2024 the customer began receiving much higher bills than before. She paid them at first, asked for a meter check and in October 2024 filed a complaint with the SEC. Her historical consumption was about 200 kWh a month.
Enel said that between February and May 2024 it billed 840 kWh provisionally because it had no meter reading. When readings resumed on June 11, the meter showed 2,335 kWh, and the company deducted 108,663 pesos already billed provisionally. The customer argued that this reading did not reflect her real consumption and pointed to a possible meter fault.
| Milestone | Data |
|---|---|
| Historical consumption of the home | ~200 kWh a month |
| Provisional billing (February to May 2024) | 840 kWh |
| Meter reading on June 11, 2024 | 2,335 kWh |
| Deduction applied by Enel | 108,663 pesos |
| Complaint to the SEC | October 2024 |
| Amount the SEC ordered removed | 434,135 pesos plus interest |
| Deadline set by the court | 15 days after the ruling becomes final |
The SEC first considered the charges valid. The customer filed a request for reconsideration and the regulator reviewed the case: it concluded there was a possible meter fault and a significant deviation from normal consumption, and ordered the 434,135 pesos plus interest removed. When Enel did not do so, the customer went to court.
What the court said about the high bill
The San Miguel Court of Appeals held that Enel was obliged to comply with the SEC ruling and that failing to do so was an unlawful omission and an arbitrary act with no reasonable justification. It added that the conduct affected the customer's rights because it treated her differently from other customers. The company must comply within 15 days of the ruling becoming final.
It is not Enel's only setback in court this month. Chile's Supreme Court upheld the ruling over the 2021 power outages and ordered compensation for more than 127,000 customers, as we reported in the Supreme Court ruling against Enel.
The 56,000 meters under SEC investigation
Separately, on September 14 the SEC brought charges against Enel over more than 56,000 Nansen meters, model N12U01, that allegedly record energy even with no appliances connected, according to BioBioChile. The complaints came from social housing in Pudahuel. The SEC told Enel to suspend billing linked to those meters, not to cut power over debts, to replace the equipment and to identify all affected customers.
“It is not acceptable for a device to keep recording energy when there is no consumption in the home,” said Superintendent Marta Cabeza, according to the same report. Enel acknowledged that certain conventional meters, combined with specific indoor wiring conditions, “could generate energy consumption records even with no load connected,” described the situation as limited and said it is applying a plan to review cases and adjust billing where appropriate.
How to dispute a high electricity bill step by step
Before filing a complaint, check whether your consumption is really abnormal. An average home in Chile uses about 180 kWh a month, the typical customer used by the National Energy Commission; we explain it in how much electricity a house in Chile uses per month. If your bill shows double or triple that with no change in your habits, it is worth checking.
- 1. Check the bill: see whether the reading was real or estimated (provisional). Estimated readings often lead to later adjustments.
- 2. Test the meter: switch everything off and turn off the main breaker. If the meter keeps moving, there may be a fault or a leak.
- 3. Complain to the utility first: in writing, online or at an office. Keep the complaint number and date.
- 4. If there is no answer or you are not satisfied, complain to the SEC: at sec.cl, with the earlier complaint number, the bill and photos of the meter.
- 5. Ask for the meter to be checked or replaced: you can request a verification of the device.
- 6. If the company does not comply with an SEC ruling: as in this case, you can go to court with a protection appeal.
To work out what your consumption should cost, multiply your kWh by the price in your area. In CGE areas such as Rancagua or Concepción, residential electricity costs about 255 pesos per kWh since October; check yours in the price per kWh by city and utility.
| Monthly consumption | Approximate cost at 255 pesos per kWh | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| 150 kWh | ~38,300 pesos | Small house or apartment |
| 200 kWh | ~51,000 pesos | Historical consumption of the customer in this case |
| 350 kWh | ~89,300 pesos | Large house or electric heating |
| 2,335 kWh (meter reading in this case) | ~595,700 pesos | Far above normal: grounds for a complaint |
Does your company offer smart metering, consumption monitoring or energy efficiency? Reach Energía Futura readers.
See advertising optionsFrequently asked questions
What should I do if Enel overcharges me?
Complain to the company first and keep the complaint number. If there is no answer or you are not satisfied, file a complaint with the SEC with your bills and photos of the meter.
Can the utility cut my power while my complaint is pending?
In the case of the 56,000 meters, the SEC ordered Enel not to cut power over debts linked to those devices. In other cases, tell the company and the SEC that a complaint is pending.
What is a provisional reading?
It is an estimated consumption billed when the company cannot read the meter. Later, with the real reading, the difference is adjusted, which can produce a large one-off charge.
How long does Enel have to comply with the ruling?
15 days from when the judgment becomes final, according to the San Miguel Court of Appeals.
