In addition to the general consumer rights guaranteed by EU legislation, citizens also enjoy specific energy-related rights and protections, defined at EU level, and set out in national law.
A Eurobarometer survey published on 12 December 2025 examined EU consumers’ behaviour in the energy transition, focusing on trust in energy markets and providers, satisfaction with energy services, and consumer protection. When asked about areas for improvement in the energy market, 38% of respondents expressed the need for better protection of vulnerable consumers and those in energy poverty. This was closely followed by greater clarity and transparency in energy bills (34%) and stronger prevention of unfair commercial practices such as telemarketing (34%). 28% highlighted the need for better access to energy data and digital tools to monitor and adapt consumption and 20% want switching between providers to be easier.
Citizens Energy Package
To help ensure a just energy transition that leaves no one behind, the Commission will publish a 'Citizens Energy Package'. This follows the Clean Industrial Deal and builds on the Affordable Energy Action Plan.
The package will support flexible market participation that benefits all consumers, with a strong link to the EU's electrification and digitalisation strategies, ensuring consumer-friendly delivery of services. Towards making the just transition a reality, it will focus on, among other priorities, addressing energy poverty and supporting a fair transition for coal regions across Europe. It will further boost consumers’ ability to take part in energy market efforts and enjoy the benefits of energy transition. Furthermore, it will ensure a solid framework for the empowerment and protection of energy consumers, both as individuals and as communities and identify ways to simplify rules, enhance awareness, and deliver technical and financial assistance.
As part of the preparation of this initiative, the Commission launched an open public consultation and a call for evidence on the package between 19 June and 11 September 2025. Its adoption is planned for March 2026.
Consumers and the EU electricity market design
The Clean energy for all Europeans package, adopted in 2019, includes 8 pieces of EU legislation, of which 4 are referred to as the electricity market design. These rules outline a comprehensive framework for consumer protection, information and empowerment in the EU electricity sector.
Following the energy crisis that started in 2021 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Electricity Market Design rules were revised and entered into force in all EU countries on 16 July 2024.
Since mid-January 2025, EU countries have been required to transpose most of these rules into national law.
By 17 July 2026, the new rules on energy sharing will also apply, as well as the possibility to have multiple suppliers for individual premises.
To support stable and affordable energy prices, the updated rules ensure that consumers are offered a variety of electricity contracts to choose from to better match their needs and allow them to benefit from renewables. For example, a consumer might opt for a fixed-term, fixed-price electricity contract to ensure predictable costs for their main household needs, while choosing a dynamic price contract for their heat pump or to charge their electric car at the time of day or night when electricity is cheapest.
The updated rules also ensure that consumers receive better information on energy offers before signing up so that they can easily understand if the offer meets their needs. They can also directly access renewable energy-based electricity, by sharing energy collectively, peer-to-peer based on private agreements, or through a legal entity, including through an energy community.
The revised rules help ensure continuity of supply for consumers via 'suppliers-of-last-resort', who are designated to take over the supply of electricity to customers if their supplier ceases to operate and prevent supplier bankruptcies due to uncovered risks.
EU countries and regulators must ensure that these obligations are enforced, and tailor-made according to their national market structure and suppliers' size.
The reformed rules also facilitate access to hedging products. For instance, under the rules, energy communities, whether in the capacity of supplier, producer or consumer, have access to power purchase agreements. This allows them to supply their members or other final customers with their own or external production capacity.
In the Affordable Energy Action Plan, the Commission highlighted that households can save between €150 and €200 every year simply by switching to the electricity supplier that offers the lowest prices.
Sharing renewable electricity
Under the energy sharing concept in the Directive improving the EU’s Electricity Market Design, final customers in the electricity market will be able to more easily access renewable electricity generated or stored off-site by family, friends, neighbours or communities.
This will help them to decouple their household electricity bills from gas prices.
Final customers who engage in energy sharing have the right to see their electricity bill reduced in proportion to the shared electricity they self-consume leading to increased affordability. They can also set a price for surplus electricity shared to ensure a reasonable return on investment.
Energy sharing is expected to further drive investment in renewable energy, as well as make renewable energy more accessible to a wider range of consumers, allowing for instance, low-income families living in social housing to access cheaper renewable energy generated from solar panels on public buildings.
The Affordable Energy Action Plan underlines that households can save between €500 and €1 100 per year by participating in energy communities.
Continuity and affordability of supply
Along with the existing EU rules to combat energy poverty, the revised energy market design legislation introduces that necessary steps are taken to ensure that the most vulnerable customers are protected from disconnection.
While many EU countries implemented measures to protect vulnerable customers during the energy crisis, the revised rules ensure that these customers remain protected from disconnection.
EU countries can, in times of emergency, intervene in price setting for households and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), below cost, for a limited period and a limited volume of electricity consumption to ensure an incentive to reduce demand.
Accessing new data-driven energy services
Access to data from meters, and most importantly smart meters, that can support near-real-time communication exchanges, is key for the delivery of data-driven digital services and consumer empowerment. To facilitate this, and the overall interoperability of energy services across the EU, the Commission is mandated to develop technical rules, with the help of network operators and relevant stakeholders, for smooth access to metering data by customers who consume or produce and eligible market parties.
The first set of rules was framed under the implementing Regulation on metering and consumption data (C/2023/ 3477 final), published in June 2023, while additional rules such as on data required for customer switching and data for demand response are envisaged. Subsequently, on 5 July 2024, a guidance document was issued to assist EU countries in accurately rolling-out and reporting these technical rules. Collectively, these rules will
- facilitate the easy, safe and secure flow of data to those eligible
- help better run existing processes
- incentivise the development and delivery of new energy services (energy sharing and demand response)
- promote a better and wider choice of offers for consumers
On 20 May 2025, the Commission launched a 4-week public call for feedback on new technical rules on the interoperable and smooth exchange of secure data, designed to make switching electricity suppliers faster, simpler, and more transparent across the EU. By the end of 2026, these rules will enable the technical process of supplier switching - involving registering a new supplier at a metering point with the market operator, all to be completed within 24 hours. Shorter switching times increase transparency, empower consumers to make timely and informed choices, and enhance retail competition by enabling energy suppliers with advantageous, competitive offers to attract customers more easily.
Action at local level
Municipalities have a crucial role in delivering a just and clean energy transition on the ground. They are responsible for public buildings and services and engage and enable citizens to take individual and collective actions that support the transition.
Cities and regions can create conditions for better energy sharing, establishing energy communities, or for improving access to sustainable sources of energy, including adjusting their permitting procedures and facilitating access to regional funds.
All EU countries’ national authorities also provide national contact points for citizens and energy consumers and some also provide tools to compare energy contracts.
The Commission has, over the past years, launched several initiatives to improve action at local level such as the Citizens Energy Advisory Hub, the Covenant of Mayors, the Smart Cities Marketplace, the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub, the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative and the Coal Regions in Transition Initiative.
Related links
- Electricity market design
- Affordable Energy Action Plan
- Public call for feedback: Access to data for switching electricity supplier – requirements
- Implementing Regulation for access to metering and consumption data C(2023)3477
- Guidance document for reporting on national practices on electricity metering and consumption data interoperability (3/7/2024)
- Directive on common rules for the internal market for electricity (EU) 2019/944
- Smart grids and meters
- Clean Energy Transition
- Point of contact for consumers per EU country
- Citizens Energy Advisory Hub