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1. Billing based on actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings In order to enable final users to regulate their own energy consumption, billing shall take place on the basis of actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings at least once per year.

2. Minimum frequency of billing or consumption information Until 31 December 2021, where remotely readable meters or heat cost allocators have been installed, billing or consumption information based on actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings shall be provided to final users at least on a quarterly basis upon request or where final customers have opted to receive electronic billing, or else twice a year.

From 1 January 2022, where remotely readable meters or heat cost allocators have been installed, billing or consumption information based on actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings shall be provided to final users at least on a monthly basis. It may also be made available via the internet and be updated as frequently as allowed by the measurement devices and systems used. Heating and cooling may be exempted from that requirement outside the heating or cooling seasons.

3. Minimum information contained in the bill Member States shall ensure that the following information is made available to final users in clear and comprehensible terms in or with their bills where those are based on actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings:

(a) current actual prices and actual consumption of energy or total heat cost and heat cost allocator readings;

(b) the fuel mix used and the related annual GHG emissions, including for final users supplied by district heating or district cooling, and a description of the different taxes, levies and tariffs applied;

(c) comparisons of the final users’ current energy consumption with consumption for the same period in the previous year, in graphic form and climate corrected for heating and cooling;

(d) contact information for final customers’ organisations, energy agencies or similar bodies, including website addresses, from which information on available energy efficiency improvement measures, comparative end-user profiles and objective technical specifications for energy-using equipment may be obtained;

(e) information about related complaints procedures, ombudsman services or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, as applicable in the Member States;

(f) comparisons with an average normalised or benchmarked final user in the same user category. In the case of electronic bills, such comparisons may instead be made available online and signposted to within the bills. Member States may limit the scope of the requirement to provide information about GHG emissions pursuant to point (b) of the first subparagraph to include only supplies from district heating systems with a total rated thermal input exceeding 20 MW.

Bills that are not based on actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings shall contain a clear and comprehensible explanation of how the amount set out in the bill was calculated, and at least the information referred to in points (d) and (e).