Moving in Luxembourg: your energy contract guide for 2026
Moving to or within Luxembourg involves specific energy steps that most residents only discover at the last minute. Default supplier designated by the ILR, 6-month time limit, meter readings, final settlement within 6 weeks: Luxembourg’s rules differ significantly from those in France, Belgium or Germany. This practical guide explains exactly what to do — before, on moving day and after — to avoid unwanted charges and use your move to optimise your energy contract.
Use your move to compare electricity offers
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Compare electricity offers →1. Luxembourg’s key feature: the default supplier
Unlike France, Belgium or Germany, Luxembourg has an automatic mechanism that simplifies — but can also be costly if you’re not careful. When you move into a property in Luxembourg, you are automatically supplied with electricity and natural gas from day one, without any action required. This supply is provided by the « default supplier », designated by the Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation (ILR).
The default supply is temporary and more expensive. The ILR itself strongly recommends subscribing to a contract with a supplier of your choice as quickly as possible after moving in, to avoid overpaying. The default supply ceases after a maximum of 6 months — after that, you risk a supply interruption if you haven’t signed a contract. Switching from the default supplier to a provider of your choice is completely free, with no supply interruption.
Your landlord cannot impose an energy supplier on you. In Luxembourg, every resident has free choice of their electricity and gas supplier, regardless of their housing situation or what the previous tenant used. This is guaranteed by Luxembourg energy law and supervised by the ILR.
2. Before moving: what to prepare
A well-managed energy move is prepared ideally 2 to 4 weeks before your departure date. The steps are simple but must be done in the right order.
3. Moving day: meter readings and contract cancellation
Moving day is critical for cleanly closing your old energy contract. The ILR’s rule is clear: read your meter on the exact day of your departure and send the reading to your supplier. This is the basis on which your final settlement will be calculated.
If you forget to cancel your contract on moving day, you remain liable for the monthly fixed subscription and energy consumed between your departure and the arrival of a declared new occupant. If the next tenant takes time to sign their own contract, you could end up paying for their energy use for several weeks.
Photograph your meter on moving day and have the readings noted in your exit inventory. This is your protection in any dispute over the final bill. If both the departing and incoming tenants are present simultaneously, it is recommended that both sign a handover document recording the meter reading.
4. Moving in: choose your supplier without delay
On arrival at your new property, electricity and gas are available from day one via the ILR default supplier. But this temporary, more expensive arrangement ends after a maximum of 6 months. Switching to a supplier of your choice is free, instant and seamless — your new supplier handles everything, including automatically cancelling the default supply.
Compare electricity offers available at your new address now.
See electricity offers →5. Four possible situations and their procedures
6. Use your move to switch supplier
A move is the ideal moment to review your energy contract. In Luxembourg, switching supplier is entirely free, with no supply interruption and no cancellation fee. Your new supplier handles all administrative and technical formalities. The switch takes a maximum of 3 weeks from your request, per ILR rules.
| Aspect | Changes with a new supplier? |
|---|---|
| Contract price and conditions | ✓ Yes — that’s the point |
| Meter and wiring | ✗ No — same meter, same cables |
| Distribution network (Creos, Sudgaz…) | ✗ No — only the commercial supplier changes |
| Supply quality and continuity | ✗ No — zero interruption, no technical intervention |
Source: ILR — FAQ free choice of supplier. June 2026.
7. The final settlement: what to expect
After cancelling your contract at the old address, your supplier is legally required to issue a final settlement within a maximum of 6 weeks following termination, under Luxembourg regulation. This document shows your actual consumption from the last invoice to your departure reading, pro-rated subscription fees, applicable taxes, and deduction of any prepayments made. It may be a refund (if you overpaid on account) or an amount due.
You must pay all outstanding invoices from your previous supplier, including the final settlement, even after you have moved. If you failed to cancel your contract on the correct date, or forgot to transmit your departure reading, the supplier can legally claim payment for energy consumed and taxes up to the arrival of a declared new occupant. If you haven’t received your final settlement within 6 weeks of cancellation, follow up in writing.
8. Special case: collective housing and service charges
In a collective residential building (apartment block), there are two distinct levels of energy supply. Your individual electricity and gas consumption (metered to your account) follows the same rules as for a house — you have free choice of supplier and handle your own contract. Central heating and communal hot water provided by the building are managed by the property manager and billed through service charges — these are specified in your lease and you have no individual contract to manage for those.
Your landlord cannot impose an energy supplier for your individual metered consumption. Only the collective heating supply (when managed at building level) falls outside your personal free choice. For any consumption measured by a meter in your name, you remain entirely free to choose your electricity or gas supplier.
9. Common mistakes to avoid
Not cancelling the old contract on moving day. The most costly mistake. Until your contract at the old address is cancelled, you continue paying the fixed monthly subscription and any energy consumed by the new tenant if they haven’t yet signed their own contract. Cancellation must be effective on the exact day of your departure, with meter reading transmitted.
Staying on the default supply without signing a contract. The default supply is structurally more expensive than market offers. Remaining on it beyond a few weeks represents an unnecessary cost — and after 6 months, you risk a supply cut. Sign a contract as early as possible, ideally before moving in.
Other mistakes to avoid: not providing a postal address for the final settlement (you won’t receive the closing invoice at your new address), not photographing meter readings on moving day, or forgetting to notify both the old and new supplier when simultaneously changing address and supplier.
Switch supplier while you move
A move is the ideal time to find an electricity contract better suited to your needs. Heat pump, solar panels, electric vehicle: compare Luxembourg offers tailored to your profile.
Compare electricity offers →Frequently asked questions — moving and energy in Luxembourg
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