If, as a residential customer, you are in default of payment (i.e. if you have not paid your electricity or natural gas bill), the following rules apply:
- a) If you do not pay within 15 days of the due date of your bill, your supplier will send you a payment reminder.
- b) In the event of non-payment within 15 days from the date of the payment reminder, your supplier will inform you in writing of its intention to have you disconnected within 30 days. A copy of this letter is sent by the supplier to the social office of your municipality of residence. If you fail to pay your bill or make arrangements with your supplier for payment in instalments after the 30-day period, your network operator will disconnect you on the basis of a written mandate from your supplier.
- c) If your debt is paid in full, your supplier will immediately request the relevant network operator to reconnect you, which must be done within 3 working days at your expense (if a network operator’s agent is present).
- d) By way of derogation from point (b) above, if you receive assistance from the social office of your municipality of residence, no disconnection may be performed. In return, your supplier is entitled to have a prepayment meter installed through your network operator until your debt is paid in full. After your debt has been paid in full, your supplier will, at your request, instruct the network operator to replace the prepayment meter with a normal meter.
- e) Neither the disconnection nor the installation of a prepayment meter suspends the requirement to pay the outstanding sums owed from the unpaid bills. The granting of an arrears payment plan does not change the conditions under which subsequent bills from your supplier are due.
f) You will be responsible for all costs incurred in the installation and removal of a prepayment meter and for the disconnection and reconnection costs.