Enel São Paulo sends lightly overdue electricity bills to notary protest, customers say

Enel São Paulo has begun sending electricity bills that are only a few days overdue to notary protest, according to customer complaints received by Folha and logged on Reclame Aqui. The complaints say the distributor sends customers' CPF numbers to protest without prior notice. Enel São Paulo's concession serves 8.5 million units.

How Enel São Paulo Uses Notary Protest

Enel São Paulo said in a statement to Folha that notary protest is used only when every collection attempt has been exhausted and that it notifies customers in advance. The distributor said it sends notices on the bill itself and makes contact by WhatsApp, email or SMS, and in many cases offers installment terms to settle outstanding amounts. Before filing a protest, Enel São Paulo said it reviews each case individually, weighing the customer's debt profile, and notifies the customer beforehand. "O protesto em cartório, previsto em Lei, é utilizado depois de esgotadas as tentativas de pagamento," the company said.

Customers filing the complaints describe a different sequence. They say the CPF is sent to protest without warning, and that consumers who pay off overdue debts still have to cover notary fees to cancel the protest. If the consumer does not, the protest is registered and the default appears in consultation databases used for credit scores. Some consumers also complain that their names were sent to the notary even after they reached an agreement to settle their debts.

Reclame Aqui shows more than 3,700 complaints under the search filter "cartório," all filed this year. Enel São Paulo said customers who have trouble paying can approach the distributor in advance to negotiate installment terms.

What Enel São Paulo Customers Face Next

Enel São Paulo said a customer who receives a notification can still regularize the situation through the distributor's service channels by paying the notary fees, where applicable. The company said it analyzes each case individually before any protest is filed.