How to pay utility bills in Luxembourg: electricity, gas, water

Utility bills usually go to the providers:

• In apartment buildings, they are usually selected by the management (gérant du bâtiment);
• in a private residence is the task of the landlord.

Remember that if you rent an apartment, utilities may be already included in the rent sometimes. This should be noted in the contract. If utilities are not included in the monthly rent payment and there has been a tenant before you, you should reassign the utility payment to your name.

To pay utility bills, you will need a local bank account only.

You can configure your preferred payment method with a mobile banking application: automated monthly payment (domiciliation) or independent payment via bank transfer (virement).

The monthly payment for utilities in Luxembourg includes gas payments, electricity bills, water supply, and garbage disposal.

Electricity

Luxembourg is supplied with electricity primarily by large suppliers.

Suppliers

Among them first of all are the Enovos Group — Enovos, NordEnergie, LEO, Steinergy. There are also fairly large Eida (green energy) and Sudstroum. Most likely, you will pay your electricity bills to one of them, but there are some other suppliers of electricity in Luxembourg too, smaller ones as well.

The provider will check your electricity meter about once a year. They send an e-mail to notify you of the screening, and then a technician comes to your place.

Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation (ILR) is responsible for verifying the suppliers of electricity in Luxembourg. If you want to submit a complaint or point out any flaws in a supplier's performance, contact the ILR.

In addition to the suppliers, there is a company that monitors all the electricity meters — Creos. They are also responsible for gas distribution and pipe maintenance.

Meters

Practically all houses and apartments in Luxembourg are equipped with smart meters. This means that there is no need to submit the meter readings manually.

Nevertheless, when you move in, on your first day you might want to write down the meter readings and submit them to Creos and the supplier anyway. That's the insurance of sorts so you only pay for the kWh you've used.

In apartment buildings, you will find a separate room in the basement with all the meters. The indications are collected every month by special service workers. Residents do not need to do anything, they just get utility bills, where everything is already counted. But in a private residence, the owner submits the meter readings themselves.

The final payment depends on the amount of used electricity and tariffication anyway. In addition, renewable «green» and non-renewable energy have different costs.

Bills

The invoice comes once a month or once every two months, depending on the supplier. Most companies specify a preferred method of payment. Most commonly it is an automated payment — domiciliation, or a bank payment — virement.

Voltage

In Luxembourg, the voltage is 220V or 50 Hz. It is the standard electric voltage in Europe. If you have electronics, make sure they can handle 220V.

Also, pay attention to the sockets of your devices — the plug should be two-pin, type C or F (German standard).

In case of an emergency, call Creos at 80029900 for electricity accidents and 80073001 for gas accidents.

Helplines are available 24/7. If you smell gas, if an outlet is shorted, or if your lights suddenly go out, give them a call.

Gas

Luxembourg households are all connected to the central gas supply system. However, connecting to the gas pipeline is impossible in some rural areas. Therefore, the residents use gas tanks. Local municipalities are responsible for the gasification of particular buildings. They check whether the premises meet the necessary conditions.

Suppliers

Usually, these are the same companies that supply electricity. A complete list of licensed natural gas suppliers in Luxembourg is published on the Creos website.

Meters

Similar to electricity ones, households are equipped with smart gas meters. But still, there are considerably fewer households that are already connected to the supply system, unlike electricity.

A smart gas meter measures the gas consumption of each house and automatically transmits the information to the supplier. In case you have a regular gas meter, the readings are collected by special services on a monthly basis.

Bills

Are paid each month. Luxembourg gas bill tarrification is based on three components:

• a fixed monthly fee,
• the price of gas per cubic meter,
• a gas meter rental fee.

Water

Water supply is managed at the local level — that is, decisions are made by the commune and the municipality.

Suppliers

Each commune has its own supplier. You can find out about them at the Service des Eaux in the local authority's office in your municipality.

Normally, suppliers do not come to inspect the meters. It only happens if there is a dispute, for example, if meter readings don't add up.

Meters

The day you move in, you should collect your meter readings and submit them to your local municipality, indicating the date.

Bills

The supplier issues an invoice once a quarter. The bill contains information about water consumption over the entire period of time.

Connecting to the water line

If your building is yet not plumbed in, you should ask the Water Department to connect it to the water supply system as soon as you move in and register with the commune.

Water safety

Water quality and properties such as purity, softness, and composition are regularly checked by water companies.

You can drink tap water everywhere in the Grand Duchy — it's safe.

However, the indicators (purity, softness, composition) may vary from one municipality to another. If you do not like the water taste or other qualities, the local municipalities suggest installing filtration systems.

Saving energy, gas and water

In Luxembourg the fewer resources consumed, the lower the utility bill.

Water saving guidelines

These rules are repeatedly proclaimed throughout the year, especially during periods of abnormal heat.

In order to save water and money, Luxembourgers are usually recommended to avoid refilling their swimming pools. Sometimes they are even given a partial ban on watering their gardens. However, there are some basic guidelines to help save water:

• take a shower instead of a bath;
• use washing machines and dishwashers only when they are full;
• keep an eye on leaks;
• use special water-saving faucet nozzles.

Ways to reduce gas bills

There are a few simple rules to lower your gas payments in Luxembourg:

• decrease the daytime comfort temperature by 1-2 degrees;
• turn off the heating when ventilating the room;
• lower the temperature at night;
• if possible, insulate your home and improve its energy efficiency rating.

Every residence in Luxembourg has an Energy Performance Certificate, obligatory since 2007. The certificate states the energy class of the house, i.e. the insulation rating of your building. When you rent your place, the landlord has to provide you with an energy efficiency certificate. The document is valid for 10 years and is handed over from owner to owner.

An Energy Performance Certificate is also more commonly known as a residential energy passport. It indicates energy efficiency, insulation, and CO2 emissions on a scale from A to I, where: A is the best-performing score, B is a score for low-energy consumption housing, C is a score for conventional energy-efficient units, and I is the worst-performing energy efficiency.

Ways to reduce water bills

These guidelines for paying less for water are simple and commonly known:

• use eco-programs on washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers,
• if possible, sun-dry laundry without using a dryer;
• select energy-saving light bulbs;
• turn off the lights when you leave the room;
• do not leave computers, televisions, and game consoles on standby;
• use a lid to cook, so pots and pans warm up quicker;
• defrost your refrigerator and freezer regularly;
• if possible, use only one light source, and avoid turning on several lamps at once.