From Norway With Love

One day after my Birthday I received this mail from Studen Boligene of Oslo, Norway:

You may have a refund coming from SiO

Did you rent a housing unit at SiO between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2010?

In that case you may have a refund coming from SiO due to incorrect electricity metering by Hafslund.

As a consequence of Hafslund’s incorrect meter reading of electricity for SiO, SiO will now initiate the refund of money to all effected tenants. SiO will refund approximately NOK 20 million to both existing tenants and former tenants reaching as far back as 2003. The tenants affected by the refund are as follows:

• Tenants connected to the joint electricity meter at Kringsjå/Fjellbirkeland and with a tenancy agreement between 1.1.2009 and 31.12.2010. This group of tenants will receive a refund for energy charges that were overpaid on the basis of invoices that were too high.

• All tenants at Student Housing with a tenancy agreement between 1.1.2003 and 31.12.2008 living in single rooms or flats without individual electricity meters, will receive a refund for rent that was overcharged due to incorrect electricity metering.

The refund does not include former residents of OAS or housing units with an individual electricity meter.

Means of calculating

Energy costs fluctuate on a yearly basis. As a result, the different amounts are calculated monthly and for each year for single rooms, studio flats, one bedroom flats and family flats. Table showing the monthly amount for each category

How to get your refund

Go to xxxxxx. In the right menu you will find ’Electricity refund’. Fill out the electronic

refund form (pdf), print it out, sign it and send it to us:

Student Housing, Energy Refund, Postboks 94 Blindern, N-0314 Oslo.

We will process your claim as soon as possible. It may take a couple of weeks before the money is available on your account, depending on how many claims being processed.

Information on our web page

If you want information on exactly how we have calculated your refund or have other questions regarding this issue, please go to our web page and read more xxxxx.

Questions can be sent to xxxxxxxx

Student Housing wishes you a great summer holiday!

Kind regards

Student Housing

Trond Bakke

Acting Director

I lived there from August 2009 to December 2009 on a beautiful small appartment in Kringsjå Student Village. So, I would probably get a refund of some kroner. I was really impressed by reading this e-mail, not because of the money, just for the honesty of norwegian people.

Most of people living there were foreign students that will never return to Oslo again, so the easiest thing was to do nothing and keep the money. But the people from Student Boligene is contacting all tenants from 2003 to last year to do the right thing.

I was so impressed that I just wanted to share with you. Wow!

Faen i Helvete! :O

I wonder what would have happened in México? As mexicans we have a lot of good things that make us special and nice people, but is good to know about other countries and their remarkable actions on some subjects and learn from it while keeping our good costumes. God Norge!!!!!

Mariana :)

PS: I haven't decided yet if I should send my form or not...

PS'': I'm also thinking about sending a congratulations e-mail to Trond Bakke.