Consumers across the EU should be able to switch electricity supplier within 24 hours by the end of 2026 under new rules adopted by the European Commission.
The changes are set out in an implementing regulation — a form of EU secondary legislation — linked to the Electricity Directive (EU/2019/944), the Commission informed on Tuesday night.
The new rules cover the “back-office” steps of switching supplier, such as registering a new provider, meaning that once a customer chooses to move, the process behind the scenes should be completed within one working day by the end of 2026.
The Commission said the rules are intended to make it easier for consumers to move to different electricity deals, including tariffs that reward flexibility, and to access services such as “demand response” — where customers adjust electricity use in response to signals such as prices.
How the rules were developed
The regulation was developed with stakeholders and a joint working group on data interoperability involving ENTSO-E, which represents Europe’s electricity transmission system operators, and the EU DSO Entity, which represents electricity distribution system operators, the Commission said.
It is the second in a series of measures under the Electricity Directive, following Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1162 on access to metering and consumption data.
The Commission added it will support EU countries and market participants in implementing the new rules through guidance and engagement with stakeholders.
