"Clean" Energy Bills for all citizens in the EU

Well-designed energy bills are a key tool for consumers in the energy transition. Thanks to the Clean Energy Package, consumers should now receive information enabling them to better compare electricity providers and how to switch to the best one, get information about the carbon footprint of their electricity consumption and how to save energy, and transparent information on the price to pay and its different components.

The analysis “‘Clean’ Energy Bills for all citizens in the EU; a subject to an examination” aims at registering the content, structure, and format of the electricity bills in EU27, and examine their contribution to consumers’ empowerment to play an active role in the clean energy transition. It provides practical guidance, along with best practices, on how to (re)design clean bills in order to maximise the potential for positive outcomes in favour of the consumers. Elements such as third-party charges collected via the energy bills, unclear costs calculations, taxes, misleading language etc., make energy bills difficult for consumers to understand, hence, to control their energy costs and consumption. Energy bills reflect the energy used for heating, cooling, lighting and the use of appliances. Due to the unique nature of electricity and the fact that in some cases there is no substitute fuel, especially for non-heating purposes, the scope of this analysis focuses solely on the status of electricity bills in Europe today. This brief report captures the main results of the research carried out with the support of more than 45 domain experts across the EU. An advanced version, which will include detailed data by EU country, will be released in mid-September 2022.

The analysis is a collaboration of INZEB, Consumers’ Association “The Quality of Life” – EKPIZO, and Heinrich Böll Foundation Office Thessaloniki, with the support of The European Consumer Association – BEUC.