The planned changes in the Electricity Market Act will make it possible for Croatia’s citizens to buy electricity from any European Union member country. The move will increase competition as state-owned utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP) controls 90% of the market.

The new law on the electricity market will create conditions for further liberalization, as the process has been hampered by the market dominance of HEP. Therefore, a good part of the changes that the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development prepared make it easier for consumers to choose and change suppliers.

Customers will be able to change suppliers within 24 hours for the next five years

The right to purchase electricity from any supplier in the European Union is part of the freedoms guaranteed to citizens by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

It also means all suppliers can deliver energy to all end-customers, allowing HEP to sell electricity more easily throughout the EU, Večernji list reported.

The draft law stipulates that the consumer can change suppliers within 24 hours for the next five years, and that suppliers are obliged to provide a free tool to compare offers and choose the most favorable one.

Bills must include data that will make it easier for customers to compare different supply offers

In addition to consumption and cost data, electricity bills should include information that helps consumers to compare existing contracts with other offers from suppliers. The new law will highlight smart meters as the basis for enabling the service. Lawmakers said in the amendments that they remove unnecessary obstacles for entering the market, exiting and operating.