UFE’s reply to the public consultation on a Communication on the Citizens Energy Package for a Just Transition and Consumer Empowerment

The Package has a three-fold goal: first, it includes measures to enhance the Just Transition principle that no citizen is left behind; it addresses measures tackling energy poverty and supports the complex process of decarbonising coal regions. Secondly, it encompasses a set of actions to facilitate consumer activation, i.e. to promote citizens’ participation in energy production and exchange both individually (as prosumers) and collectively through energy communities and energy sharing. Third, it addresses issues that affects all citizens in respect of the energy transition, in particular the need to ensure energy affordability. This implies to ensure public acceptance by citizens, to better inform them, address barriers to affordability, building a mutual trust relationships with suppliers and DSOs, and enhancing the role of local players and initiatives where the energy transition takes place. The feed-back from respondents will be important for the Commission’s work to support the smooth and coherent transposition of EU rules on energy consumers through guidance to the Member States.

The Package will also help deliver the Clean Industrial Deal, fulfilling its commitments and promoting flexible market participation that benefits all consumers. It will be closely linked to the electrification and digitalisation strategies with a focus on ensuring that these are delivered in a consumer-friendly way. This open public consultation together with targeted consultations on the guidance documents aim to ensure a wide understanding and ownership of the whole Package by key stakeholders – regulators, consumer organisations, industry, local and regional administrations, civil society and citizens. This consultation is thus complemented by other consultation fora and processes, such as Citizens Energy Forum and the Regulatory Round Table, outreach events to different types of stakeholders, and working groups on consumers and on energy poverty.

We are very much interested in hearing your views on the Citizens Energy Package as described above.

Thank you in advance for your contribution.

The following questionnaire consists out of 8 parts. It will start with questions on just transition and energy poverty, after which it will dive into questions on affordability and consumer empowerment and protection. It is not mandatory to respond to all parts, you are free to respond to those parts that are of interest to you.

The following topics will be part of the questionnaire

Section 1 on Just Transition and Energy Poverty

1. Questions on just transition, energy poverty and public acceptance

2. On disconnections

Section 2 on Consumer Empowerment

3. On energy communities

4. On active customers and energy sharing

5. On demand flexibility remuneration in retail contracts – dynamic and hybrid contracts

Section 3 on Consumer Protection, Affordability and Public Acceptance

6. On ensuring energy offers are easily understandable and comparable

7. On limiting risk of supplier bankruptcies

8. On consumer protection in natural gas phase-out