The price electricity will be supplied at under the scheme will be known at the end of the month, though consumers on a fixed-term electricity contract who wish to avoid being hit with a fine for making that switch have a year by which to do so.
The actual price at which the universal service will provide electricity to householders is still to be set, and is the responsibility of the Competition Authority (Konkurentsiamet).
According to the Competition Authority, they are rapidly analyzing the data provided by Enefit Power so that the universal price of electricity can be confirmed by September 30 at the latest.
The bill amends to existing pieces of legislation, the Electricity Market Act and the Competition Act, and obliges state electricity generator Eesti Energia to sell electricity to domestic consumers, and all electricity distributors, as a universal service, from October until the end of April 2026.
Customers may need to contact their electricity supplier to ensure the service is put in place for them, depending on what type of package they use and with what company.
The price of the universal service of electricity sales (which the consumer will pay) consists of the agreed production price of electricity, to which are added as an additional cost component the justified costs related to the provision of the universal service of the electricity seller and a reasonable business profit.
The Competition Authority has the right to check the compliance of the universal service price applied by electricity sellers. Since universal service is sold by several companies, the consumer can look for the most affordable universal service provider among all sellers who provide universal service.
Electricity suppliers may not fine a customer on a fixed-term electricity package if they switch to the universal service, until the end of September 2023.
Customers who use a general service will see their bills priced as of the universal service from October 1 this year, 2022.