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1. Member States shall ensure that all final customers are entitled to have natural gas and hydrogen provided by a supplier, subject to the supplier’s agreement, regardless of the Member State in which the supplier is registered, provided that the supplier observes the applicable trading, balancing and security of supply rules and criteria in accordance with Article 8(2). In that regard, Member States shall take all measures necessary to ensure that administrative procedures do not discriminate against suppliers already registered in another Member State.

2. Without prejudice to Union rules on consumer protection, in particular Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 93/13/EEC , Member States shall ensure that final customers have the rights provided for in paragraphs 3 to 11 of this Article.

3. Final customers shall have the right to a contract with their supplier that specifies:

(a) the identity and contact details of the supplier, including address, email address and a consumer support hotline;

(b) the services provided (including the product and tariff name), the main features of the services provided, the service quality levels offered, and the time for the initial connection;

(c) the types of maintenance service offered;

(d) the means by which up-to-date information on all applicable tariffs, maintenance charges and bundled products or services can be obtained;

(e) the duration of the contract, the conditions for renewal and termination of the contract and services, including products or services that are bundled with those services, and whether terminating the contract without charge is permitted;

(f) any compensation and the refund arrangements which apply if contracted service quality levels are not met, including inaccurate or delayed billing;

(g) where the environmental performance, including where relevant carbon dioxide emissions, is promoted as an essential feature, clear, objective, publicly available and verifiable commitments provided by the supplier and, in the case of supply of renewable gas and low-carbon gas, certification of the renewable gas and low-carbon gas supplied in accordance with Article 9;

(h) the method of initiating an out-of-court dispute settlement procedure in accordance with Article 25;

(i) information relating to consumer rights, including clear and understandable information on complaint handling and how and where a complaint can be submitted and all the information referred to in this paragraph, that is clearly communicated on the bill or the hydrogen or natural gas undertaking’s website;

(j) where relevant, information on the provider and the price of products or services that are tied to, or bundled with, natural gas or hydrogen supply. The contractual conditions shall be fair and well known in advance. In any case, the information shall be provided in consumer-friendly, clear and unambiguous language, prior to the conclusion or confirmation of the contract. Where contracts are concluded through intermediaries, the information referred to in this paragraph shall also be provided prior to the conclusion of the contract. Information on the provider of products or services, and the price of those products or services, that are tied to or bundled with gas supply shall be provided prior to the conclusion of the contract. Final customers shall be provided with a single summary of the key contractual conditions in a prominent manner and in concise and simple language. Member States shall require the supplier to use a common terminology. The Commission shall provide non-binding guidance in this regard.

4. Final customers shall be given adequate notice of any intention to modify contractual conditions and shall be informed about their right to terminate the contract when the notice is given. Suppliers shall notify their final customer and in a transparent and comprehensible manner of any adjustment in the supply price and of the reasons and preconditions for the adjustment and its scope, no later than two weeks, or no later than one month in the case of household customers, before the adjustment comes into effect. Member States shall ensure that final customers are free to terminate contracts if they do not accept the new contractual conditions or adjustments in the supply price notified to them by their supplier.

5. Suppliers shall provide final customers with transparent information on applicable prices, tariffs and standard terms and conditions, in respect of access to and use of services, for natural gas and hydrogen, in particular information on whether the price is fixed or variable and, where relevant, on promotions and discounts. Key contractual information shall be highlighted by the supplier.

6. Suppliers shall offer final customers a wide choice of payment methods. Such payment methods shall not discriminate between customers. Vulnerable customers as referred to in Article 26 of this Directive and customers affected by energy poverty may be granted more favourable treatment. Any difference in charges related to payment methods or prepayment systems shall be objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate and shall not exceed the direct costs borne by the payee for the use of a specific payment method or a prepayment system, in accordance with Article 62 of Directive (EU) 2015/2366 of the European Parliament and of the Council .

7. Household customers who have access to prepayment systems shall not be placed at a disadvantage by the prepayment systems.

8. Suppliers shall offer final customers fair and transparent general terms and conditions, which shall be provided in plain and unambiguous language and shall not include non-contractual barriers to the exercise of customers’ rights, such as excessive contractual documentation. Customers shall be protected against unfair or misleading selling methods.

9. Final customers shall have the right to a good standard of service and complaint handling by their suppliers. Suppliers shall handle complaints in a simple, fair and prompt manner.

10. Suppliers shall provide natural gas household customers with adequate information on alternative measures to avoid disconnection sufficiently in advance of any planned disconnection. Such alternative measures may include information about sources of support to avoid disconnection, prepayment systems, energy audits, energy consultancy services, alternative payment plans, debt management advice or disconnection moratoria and shall not entail an extra cost to the customers facing disconnection.

11. Suppliers shall provide final customers with a final closure account after any switch of supplier no later than six weeks after such a switch has taken place.