If your written complaint to your supplier has been unsuccessful, you can contact the ULC or the European Consumer Centre GIE. You also have the right to free mediation with the ILR. Finally, you can also bring a civil action against the supplier to have the contract annulled due to lack of consent.

If you consider that you have received incorrect information, a range of support is available to you. If you have not signed a contract, you can contact the ILR, the ULC, the Ministry of Consumer Protection, the Competition Council, the European Consumer Centre GIE for information and advice.

After signing the contract, you have the right to request mediation from the ILR in addition to the above-mentioned consumer rights organisations. For more information on this subject, please refer to the web page dedicated to the mediation service on the ILR website.

If you think you have been the victim of an unfair commercial practice or misleading selling practice, i.e. one that has resulted in you making a decision you would not otherwise have made, you can approach your supplier directly in the first instance. If you are not satisfied, you can contact:

• the ILR; or
• the ULC; or
• the Ministry of Consumer Protection; or
• the Competition Council; or
• the European Consumer Centre GIE in Luxembourg.

In the event of non-compliance with the law and if the collective interest of consumers is affected, the Ministry, the ULC or the European Consumer Centre GIE may assess the possibility and advisability of bringing an action for an injunction. Similarly, you can also bring an action for an injunction in your own name before the competent court to bring about a change to these practices and ask the court to declare the contractual clause concluded null and void, as a result of the unfair commercial practice.

There are a number of practices you can implement to save energy on a daily basis. Practical advice on how to save electricity and heat well can be found on the Klima-Agence websites. Furthermore, if you want to know how to save energy, reduce your energy costs or which measures are eligible for financial support from the state, you can call the free hotline provided by Klima-Agence on 8002 1190 or your supplier.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact Klima-Agence, which accompanies all those interested in finding out about solutions that correspond to their projects for sustainable living and mobility, thereby helping them to consume better and less. See the website for grants: https://www.klima-agence.lu/fr/klimabonus-aides

You can also visit the government’s portal, Guichet.lu, and consult the page about financial support for renovation projects and improving the energy performance of your home https://guichet.public.lu/fr/citoyens/logement/renovation-transformation/performances-energie.html.

The Luxembourg legislation regarding the organisation of the electricity and natural gas markets does not contain any specific provisions relating to vulnerable customers. Instead this is ensured by the various social legislations.

In Luxembourg, if a consumer is unable to meet his or her domestic energy costs and meets the eligibility requirements for social assistance, the competent social welfare office may initiate, at the request of the customer, an assistance procedure to guarantee them a minimum energy supply. This minimum supply guarantee includes the right to be supplied with energy for adequate heating, cooking and lighting.

If you think you qualify for social assistance, you should contact the social welfare office of the municipality where you live. On the basis of the information they receive regarding your situation, the social welfare office will then assess the most appropriate ways to deal with the problem of financing your energy supply.

You can also get in touch with the municipal administration of your place of residence, the Ministry of Family Affairs or other non-governmental organisations who are active in the social domain to find out about support, such as the Ligue Médico-Sociale or Inter-Actions asbl. They can monitor your situation on a regular basis, even if you are over-indebted or in financial difficulty, for example by drawing up a weekly spending plan.

Also, depending on your situation, you may be entitled to a cost-of-living allowance or the energy premium (only for 2022) through the Fonds national de solidarité (www.fns.lu). You can find more information here.

In principle, as long as you pay your bills, you will not be disconnected. If you find yourself in a precarious situation that makes it impossible to pay your bills, we advise you to inform your supplier as soon as possible of your precarious financial situation in order to avoid disconnection. You can also contact the social office of your municipality of residence for possible assistance with your energy costs, subject to certain conditions.

When your supplier intends to suspend your energy supply for non-payment, they are obliged to inform you and the social office of your municipality of residence at the same time. The social office can then eventually decide whether to settle the unpaid bills.

Your electricity or natural gas supply cannot be disconnected while your application for social assistance is being processed by the social office of your municipality of residence.

If you qualify for social assistance, your supplier is entitled to instruct the network operator to replace your meter with a prepayment meter at your expense until all outstanding bills are paid. Once all the debt to your supplier has been paid, you may ask to have your normal meter reinstalled at your expense.

The Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation (ILR) is an independent public institution whose role includes regulating the electricity and natural gas markets and to ensuring compliance with energy consumer protection measures. Within the framework of its missions, the ILR offers all the guarantees of neutrality and independence for the out-of-court settlement of disputes between you and your supplier or your network operator. For doing so, the ILR has two procedures, the complaints procedure and the mediation procedure.

If you want a non-binding solution to your dispute with your network operator or supplier, the ILR offers a mediation service which has the great advantage of being a transparent, fast, free and non-public method of settling disputes out of court.

You can therefore use the mediation service provided that you have first exhausted the internal complaints procedures set up by your supplier or network operator without having reached a satisfactory solution and provided that you have not brought the dispute before a court. The dispute may concern, for example, connection, metering, supply, change of supplier, billing or the tariff applied.

The role of the ILR is to reconcile the parties and guide them to a non-binding solution that is satisfactory to both sides of the dispute. The whole process is voluntary and you can stop it at any time.

In order to apply to the ILR mediation service, you must return the requested documents and the completed and signed application form for mediation in electricity or natural gas matters to the ILR by post. The application form for mediation in electricity or natural gas matters is available in Luxembourgish, French and German on the ILR website or on request by calling: 28 228 888.

For more information about the mediation service offered by the ILR, feel free to send an email to mediation@ilr.lu.

Your supplier is required to state how complaints are dealt with either on your electricity and natural gas bills or on its website. In addition, out-of-court dispute settlement arrangements must be set out in the terms and conditions of your supply contract.

As a customer who has not yet chosen a supplier, you are supplied by the “default supplier” responsible for the area in which you are located.

The concept of default supply was introduced by the legislator to temporarily ensure the supply of electricity or natural gas to any customer, even if they have not yet had the opportunity to choose a supplier after moving in or in the event of a new connection.

The default supplier is designated by the ILR, which also approves the prices charged by the default supplier. As these prices are generally more expensive than the standard supply offers from the various suppliers, it is strongly recommended that you sign an electricity or natural gas supply contract with the supplier of your choice as soon as possible, otherwise you will continue to pay a higher price for the energy you consume.

The default supply will automatically end after 6 months and if no contract is concluded at the end of this period your energy supply will be interrupted. You can compare supply offers for residential customers using the Institute’s price comparison tool www.calculix.lu.

Depending on the degree of severity of the event, the network operators or the State shall take the necessary corrective or safeguarding measures and communicate them by appropriate means. In this respect, we refer you to the website www.infocrise.public.lu.

Depending on the case, the measures mentioned can be a reduction in consumption, a reduction of exports at border crossing points and/or the technical shutdown of parts of the network.

However, these must be in line with the legal framework, in particular the 2007 laws on the organisation of the electricity and natural gas markets, in particular Articles 13 and 19 respectively.

Should your supplier be unable to supply electricity and/or natural gas, the mechanism of last resort ensures the continuity of your supply of electricity and/or natural gas. This means that the “supplier of last resort” takes over your supply until you have chosen a new supplier.
The maximum period for choosing a new supplier is 6 months.
In order to avoid being supplied at unfavorable tariff conditions, you should quickly conclude a regular supply contract, either with your supplier of last resort or with another supplier.
The supplier of last resort is designated by the ILR.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, contact your supplier directly to try to find a solution (e.g. payment plan) adapted to your financial situation. You can also contact the social office of your municipality of residence in order to find solutions.

A disconnection procedure in the event of non-payment is indeed provided for by law.

In principle, the general terms and conditions concluded with your supplier contain a liability clause determining the circumstances in which the supplier may be held contractually liable in the event of supply interruption.

The same applies to network operators; a similar clause is included in your general terms and conditions of use of the network concluded with your operator (via the supply contract signed with your supplier, you have accepted the general terms and conditions of the network operator).

In the event of a power failure, it must be checked whether the interruption is not due to the fact that a protection device (e.g. a fuse) has blown or, if there is a smart meter in the household, whether the power supply was switched off by this meter.

Please try to restore the supply by resetting the protection device. If this does not solve the problem, there is probably a problem with the internal installation and you should contact an electrician for assistance.

Please also check to see if your meter is working properly. In the second case, follow the instructions on the meter display.

But if neither the protection devices nor the meter are the cause of the interruption in your supply or if the interruption concerns natural gas and you do not know the technical cause, you should contact your network operator, who will check whether it is a network failure or a failure in your domestic installation. In the latter case, you should contact an electrician or installer of your choice.

If the interruption is due to non-payment of your bills, the smart meter will indicate it to you.

If your supply is interrupted due to non-payment of your outstanding bills, you should immediately contact your supplier and, if necessary, the social office of your municipality of residence to try to find a solution to restore your supply as soon as possible, such as drawing up a debt repayment plan.

Finally, if your supply is interrupted due to the termination or suspension of your contract, you must ensure that you either sign a new supply contract or that you resume your suspended supply contract.

There are two distinct cases:

1. You are in a contractual relationship with a supplier but do not have a signed written document as proof. This is the situation for a large proportion of the population whose first supply took place prior to the 1st of August 2007 and who have never signed a contract with their supplier. Nevertheless, under what is known as an implicit contract, you are supplied with energy by that supplier, usually for an indefinite period. This means that you have the right to terminate the contract at any time in order to change supplier, without having to give any notice period.
2. You do not have a supply contract, not even implicitly. The law then provides for a specific supplier, known as the default supplier, to ensure the supply on an intermediate and temporary basis. The default supplier is designated by the ILR.

Six months after the start of this default supply, and if you have not yet signed a supply contract with the supplier of your choice, the default supply will automatically end and you will no longer be supplied with electricity. If you are being supplied by a default supplier, it is therefore essential to rectify the situation as soon as possible and sign a proper contract with the supplier of your choice.

Note also that default supply is generally more expensive than supply with a formal contract.

Switching suppliers is always free of charge. However, you should make sure that you respect the contractual clauses regarding the period of notice, especially if you have a fixed-term contract, in order to avoid possible penalties.

If you are charged a change of supplier fee, you should pay the amount claimed under no circumstances. In such a case, you must dispute the bill, preferably in writing, with the issuer. If, however, your complaint does not result in the bill being cancelled, you have the right to refer the matter to the ILR within the framework of a mediation or complaint procedure; you will find a specific tab on this issue on the ILR website.

The law does not provide for a maximum duration binding a consumer to their supplier. In practice, suppliers generally offer supply contracts of indefinite duration, which can be terminated at any time, provided that the notice period laid down in the special or general conditions of the supply contract is respected.

In a fixed-term supply contract, all durations are theoretically possible as long as the rights and obligations remain balanced. In practice, fixed-term contracts are being offered for periods of between 1 and 3 years.

To facilitate the necessary administrative steps, your new supplier deals with the termination of your present supply contract as part of the procedure for changing supplier.

By signing a contract with a new supplier, you also give that new supplier the mandate to terminate your existing contract with your old supplier; you do not have to take any further steps and there is no risk of a break between the end of the existing contract with your old supplier and the start of supply by the new supplier. Your new supplier will supply you with energy no later than 3 weeks after the date of your change request.

Nevertheless, you should be aware that you must respect the notice period set out in the special conditions or even the general conditions of the supply contract you wish to terminate, otherwise penalties will apply.

In the case of a distance or off-premises contract with a supplier or as a result of cold calling, the consumer has the possibility of withdrawing from the contract within 14 days of its conclusion.

Suppliers may change their prices in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in their general supply conditions.

With the exception of contracts that provide for other price adjustments (e.g. fixed-price contracts), your electricity or natural gas supplier can change the price of the energy supply at any time. Nevertheless, they are required to give you timely notice, and in any case 30 days’ notice, of their intention to change the supply price, either upwards or downwards. They are also obliged to inform you of your right to terminate the supply contract without notice and free of charge before the change comes into effect.

The right to terminate the contract does not apply to changes in other elements such as taxes or regulated tariffs for use of the network.

Generally speaking, there are two types of contracts:

• On the one hand, there are fixed-term contracts with a fixed price for which price changes are generally excluded.
• On the other hand, there are contracts for an indefinite period of time, for which your natural gas or electricity supplier is required to give you transparent and comprehensible notice in good time, and in any case 30 days in advance, of any intention to change the contractual terms and conditions and of any change in the price of the natural gas or electricity supply, both upwards and downwards.

Your supplier is also obliged to inform you of your right to terminate the supply contract without notice and free of charge before the change comes into effect.

The right to terminate the contract does not apply to changes in the network operator’s regulated tariffs. The terms and conditions of termination are set out in your general terms and conditions of supply.

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:

1. a) If you do not pay within 15 days of the due date of your bill, your supplier will send you a payment reminder.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. 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.

You are entitled to a supply of energy of a well-defined quality (with reference to the pressure respectively the voltage and the frequency supplied) on reasonable, easily comparable, transparent, non-discriminatory and published conditions and tariffs.

Since the minimum quality level is defined contractually (by signing the supply contract, the customer declares that they accept the general conditions of the network operator), any compensation is an integral part of the network usage contract signed with the network operator.

Your network operator must inform you, in advance and as soon as possible by any appropriate means, of the dates and times when the energy supply will be interrupted. In the event of unforeseeable interruptions to the energy supply, your network operator is obliged to inform you as soon as possible of the reasonably foreseeable duration of the interruption. An exception may occur in the event of force majeure (an unforeseeable breakdown), where neither the network operator nor the supplier are able to warn you in advance.

The compensation due, as a result of an interruption, whether foreseeable or not, is set out in the general terms and conditions of the contract with your supplier or the contract for use of the network with the network operator.

Creos, the largest network operator in Luxembourg, provides real-time information on interruptions via its “Creos” app.

– If you move and your supply contract is terminated/you change supplier, you must pay the outstanding bills sent to you by the former supplier, including the final statement, which must be sent within 6 weeks of the change of supplier.

If the supply contract for the old address is not terminated, the supplier is entitled to claim payment of taxes, fees and energy consumed until the contract at the old address is terminated.

– If you change supplier, you must pay the outstanding bills from the previous supplier until the statement is issued (to be sent by the supplier within 6 weeks of the change of supplier).

– prices are changing ? If the price of the energy supply changes, either upwards or downwards, the law allows you to terminate the supply contract without notice and without incurring charges. Your supplier is obliged to notify you of any price changes in due time and in all cases 30 days before the change comes into effect.

The procedures for prior information and termination are specified in the general conditions of supply. The right to terminate the contract only applies to changes in the energy price itself, not to changes in other components such as taxes or regulated tariffs for network usage.

– I move ? If you do not wish to continue your contract at your new address, the supply contract for the old home must be terminated with the notice period as stipulated in your contract before you leave, indicating the date of departure. In all cases, you need to inform your supplier of your departure and, if necessary, your new address.

It may be useful to read the meter reading on the day of the move and notify the supplier about it. However, if smart metering data is available, this data is used to settle any sums due or owed. The cancellation will take effect on the date of the last meter reading at your old address. A final closing statement must be issued by the supplier within 6 weeks after termination of the contract.

If you forget to terminate the contract, the payment of the energy consumed and the applicable fees and taxes is due, including for the period after your departure from the address.

The contract (including the general, special and tariff conditions) must clearly specify the conditions and modalities of cancellation. The supplier must also answer any question on this subject.

The rules for terminating the contract are set out in the general conditions of your supply contract. There are three different situations in which the supply contract can be terminated:

– In case of an address change: you need to notify your current supplier before moving to a new address. If you do not terminate the supply contract with effect from the day you move out, you will remain liable for payment of the fixed monthly premium and the energy consumption recorded at your old address over the period between your departure and the arrival of a declared new occupant.

If, however, you decide to stay with the same supplier and not terminate your supply contract, you should refer to your supply contract to determine whether your move only results in a change of the place of consumption in the contract and not in a termination of the contract.

In some contracts, a change of address is not a legitimate reason for termination. In any case, as long as you do not move out of the Grand Duchy, your current supplier can continue to supply you, unless of course, in the case of gas, when your new address is not connected to the gas network.

– In case you rent out your flat or house: it is the responsibility of the occupant of the premises, either as the owner or as the former tenant, to terminate the supply contract with the supplier in the same way as for a change of address (see above).

The new tenant is required to contact a new supplier of his choice to conclude a supply contract before moving into the flat or house.

– In case you change supplier: you have the right to terminate your supply contract at any time and without incurring costs. However, if you have a fixed-term contract, you cannot, in principle, terminate your supply contract before its regular expiry date. If you nevertheless change the supplier, possible penalties may apply.

To facilitate the necessary administrative procedures, suppliers take care of the termination of your supply contract. By signing a new contract, you normally also give your new supplier the mandate to terminate your existing contract; you do not need to take any further steps. Your new supplier will be able to supply you with energy no later than 3 weeks after the date of your change request.

Your supplier is obliged to give you timely, and in any case 30 days in advance in a transparent and comprehensible manner, of any intention to change the contractual conditions and of any change in the prices of the energy supply, both upwards and downwards. Your supplier must inform you of your right to terminate the contract, without notice and without charge, before the change comes into effect. The right to terminate the contract, however, only applies to changes in the energy price itself, but not to increases in other elements of the bill such as taxes or regulated tariffs for the use of the network.

If your supplier does not comply with these formal conditions, you must first send a written complaint to the supplier before you can refer the matter to the ILR under the mediation procedure (you will find a specific tab on this issue on the ILR website).

You can also take legal action to have your supply contract terminated or, as a first step, contact a consumer rights organisation (e.g. the ULC).

With regard to electricity and natural gas consumers, the ILR is mandated to ensure that protective measures are effectively implemented. in that regard, you have the right to benefit free of charge from the mediation services offered by the ILR.
In addition, the Union Luxembourgeoise des Consommateurs Nouvelle asbl and the European Consumer Centre Luxembourg inform, advise and defend consumers in all areas. The Ministry for Consumer Protection protects the collective interests of consumers.

First of all, as a consumer, you are protected by consumer law. In addition, the applicable legislation on electricity and natural gas gives you special rights, including:

• the right to change your supplier at any time without incurring charges;
• the right to information before signing a supply contract;
• the right to be informed about the contribution of each energy source (renewable, fossil, nuclear or other) to the total energy sources used by your electricity supplier. The energy label, which is attached to your bill, is published by the 1st of September each year and relates to the energy used by your supplier in the previous year;
• the right to terminate the supply contract in the event of a change in the contractual conditions or a change in the prices of the supply itself;
• the right to benefit from a free mediation service offered by the ILR in the event of a dispute with your supplier and/or network operator.

You may also consult your supplier’s general and special supply terms and conditions. For more general information, feel free to contact the ILR.

Information on how to switch the supplier are available through various ILR communication channels:  the consumer website (www.myilr.lu), the regular website  (www.ilr.lu), notably the page www.STROUMaGAS.lu, via telephone (+352 28 228 888), per email (stroumagas@ilr.lu) or by post to the Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation, L-2922 Luxembourg.

In addition, the supplier, towards which you wish to switch to, will also inform you of the steps to take. To find the offer and the supplier that suits you best, also consult our website for a comparison of the offers available on the market: www.calculix.lu.