Energy, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Legislation

"Based on the experience of other countries, we were of the belief that as the market opened, approximately 20% of customers would pick electricity suppliers for themselves, with 80% of the customers continuing with a generic service. However, the activity of Estonia's residents exceeded all our forecasts. In two and a half months, customers have concluded more than 321,000 contracts with Eesti Energia, which covers 46% of all the consumption locations in Estonia," Margus Rink said.

Elering has reported that, as at today, 52% of all the consumption locations in Estonia are covered by contracts for the supply of electricity, writes LETA.

"We are delighted to point out that, despite the widespread calls to wait and see, customers chose not to stand by in the process of the opening of the electricity market, instead participating in it actively. In fact, it is active customers who are the crucial cornerstone of an electricity market. If the majority of people were to remain passive, preferring a generic service, no genuine electricity market would be created," Rink elaborated.

Whereas in the first two months of the selling period customers concluded nearly 135,000 contracts with Eesti Energia, in the last ten days the number of new contracts exceeded 321,000. On average, 19,000 contracts a day were concluded via the online customer service, over the telephone or at the branches during this period. Approximately 85% of the contracts have been concluded for the Kindel plan, with 12 months as their most popular term. More than a half of the contracts have been concluded via the online customer service.

Eesti Energia's current customers will be able to conclude contracts for the supply of electricity, to take effect on January 1, 2012, until the end of December.

In the New Year, it will be possible to conclude contracts for the supply of electricity 365 days a year.

The only thing to consider then will be the fact that contracts for the supply of electricity will be taking effect on the first day of each month and that any contract for the supply of electricity will need to be concluded at least 21 days before the beginning of the following month.