S.L. 623.7 Art. 16Billing and consumption information for heating, cooling and domestic hot water.

(1) Where meters or heat cost allocators are installed, energy suppliers shall ensure that the billing and consumption information is reliable, accurate and based on actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings, in accordance with items 1 and 2 of Part II

of the Seventh Schedule for all final users, namely for natural or legal persons purchasing heating, cooling or domestic hot water for their own end-use, or natural or legal persons occupying an individual building or a unit in a multi-apartment or multi-purpose building supplied with heating, cooling or domestic hot water from a central source who has no direct or individual contract with the energy supplier:

Provided that, save in the case of sub-metered consumption based on heat cost allocators under regulation 13 such obligation may be fulfilled by a system of regular self-reading by the final customer or final user whereby they communicate readings from their meter. Only where the final customer or final user has not provided a meter reading for a given billing interval shall billing be based on estimated consumption or a flat rate.

(2) The supplier shall:

(a) ensure that, if information on the energy billing and historical consumption or heat cost allocator readings of final users is available, it be made available upon request by the final user, to an energy service provider designated by the final user;

(b) ensure that final customers are offered the option of electronic billing information and bills;

(c) ensure that clear and comprehensible information is provided with the bill to all final users in accordance with item 3 of Part II of the Seventh Schedule;

(d) promote cyber security and ensure the privacy and data protection of final users in accordance with applicable Union law.

(3) The provision of information by the supplier, at the request of the final customer, shall not be considered to constitute a request for payment and in such cases the supplier shall offer flexible arrangements for actual payment.