Estonia: Bill concerning energy sector passed the second reading in the Riigikogu

NordenBladet — At today’s sitting, the Bill to obligate the state to improve energy efficiency so as to aim to decrease energy consumption regardless of levels of economic growth passed the second reading in the Riigikogu.

The Bill on Amendments to the Energy Sector Organisation Act and the Natural Gas Act (202 SE), initiated by the Government, will transpose new obligations arising from the relevant EU directive that will help achieve the EU’s long-term targets in the reduction of energy use. The directive provides for progress towards the Energy Union, under which energy efficiency is to be treated as an energy source in its own right.

The Bill will specify that the national energy efficiency target will be set at Government level together with policy measures supporting it and the energy efficiency obligation distribution plan.

It is intended to regulate the metering of the consumption of heating, cooling and domestic hot water by final users in buildings, and the billing relating thereto. In order to transfer completely to remote reading of heat by 1 January 2027, the energy supplier will need to install only remotely readable heat meters. The installation of apartment-based final users’ heat meters in multi-apartment buildings is necessary where this is cost-effective and technically feasible. Starting from 25 October 2020, final users will have to be given extensive comparative information upon billing for heat with the aim that consumers will be able to change their behaviour.