S.L. 545.34 Art. 11Comparison tools.

(1) Household customers, and microenterprises with an expected yearly consumption of below 100,000 kWh, shall have access, free of charge, to at least one tool comparing the offers of suppliers, including offers for dynamic electricity price contracts. Customers shall be informed of the availability of such tools in or together with their bills or by other means.

The tools shall meet at least the following requirements:

(a) they shall be independent from market participants and ensure that electricity undertakings are given equal treatment in search results;

(b) they shall clearly disclose their owners and the natural or legal person operating and controlling the tools, as well as information on how the tools are financed;

(c) they shall set out clear and objective criteria on which the comparison is to be based, including services, and disclose them;

(d) they shall use plain and unambiguous language;

(e) they shall provide accurate and up-to-date information and state the time of the last update;

(f) they shall be accessible to persons with disabilities, by being perceivable, operable, understandable and robust;

(g) they shall provide an effective procedure for reporting incorrect information on published offers; and

(h) they shall perform comparisons, while limiting the personal data requested to that strictly necessary for the comparison.

The Regulator shall ensure that at least one tool covers the entire market. Where multiple tools cover the market, those tools shall include, as complete as practicable, a range of electricity offers covering a significant part of the market and, where those tools do not completely cover the market, a clear statement to that effect, before displaying results.

(2) The tools referred to in sub-regulation (1) may be operated by any entity, including private companies and public authorities or bodies.

(3) The Regulator shall be responsible for issuing trust marks for comparison tools that meet the requirements set out in sub-regulation (1), and for ensuring that comparison tools bearing a trust mark continue to meet the requirements set out in sub-regulation (1):

Provided that the issue of trust mark shall not be required when the comparison tool is provided by a public authority or body and when such comparison meets the requirements set out in sub-regulation (1).

(4) Any tool comparing the offers of market participants shall be eligible to apply for a trust mark in accordance with this regulation on a voluntary and non-discriminatory basis.