Original article: «Las familias no pueden seguir pagando los errores»: Alejandro Navarro presentó recurso de protección a favor de vecinos del Biobío por cobros irregulares de luz

Families Affected by Irregular Electricity Charges: Alejandro Navarro Files Protection Appeal for Biobío Residents

Deputy candidate Alejandro Navarro has filed a protection appeal on behalf of 120 residents from the municipalities of Penco, Concepción, Tomé, Hualqui, Coronel, Hualpén, Talcahuano, Chiguayante, and Florida, addressing irregular charges on their electricity bills.

Navarro highlighted that «the National Energy Commission (CNE) publicly acknowledged the mistake, but instead of halting the charges, it announced plans to continue them until January 2026.»

He stated, «Families cannot keep paying for the errors of the National Energy Commission (CNE) nor for the inaction of the Ministry of Energy and the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC).»

«It is illegal, immoral, and deeply unfair to acknowledge overcharging and continue to charge the same; that’s why we have turned to the judiciary, so that the Court of Appeals orders an immediate halt to these irregular charges and compels the companies to refund what was improperly charged, adjusted to the current currency value,» emphasized the former senator, detailing that this situation affects 647,000 customers in the Biobío region alone.

«Defective Tariff»

According to Alejandro Navarro, «an investigation is needed to establish the responsibilities of the National Energy Commission and the National Electric Coordinator, not just the distribution companies in each region of Chile; we do not want promises of future discounts on bills. We want the money returned in cash and adjusted for current currency because the money that left families’ pockets must come back to them.»

«We will not accept that a defective tariff continues to burden households, which in some regions, can account for up to 7% of the monthly electricity bill. The companies – CGE, Frontel, and Copelec – knew about the error and still applied it. Yet, the authorities remained silent. This demonstrates total disrespect towards consumers, toward hardworking people who pay their bills on time and who are now angry to see how they continue to be taken advantage of,» added the parliamentary candidate for District 20.

Finally, Navarro remarked that presenting this resource «does not eliminate the necessity for a collective lawsuit before Sernac. We will persist through various means until every improperly charged peso is returned and until the State understands that its duty is to protect individuals, not companies.»

The Citizen