Electricity & gas in Latvia: your rights
The rules that protect you as an electricity and gas customer in Latvia, and who to contact. Every fact is checked on an official source.
What is going on?
Everything at a glance
The market
Households choose their own electricity supplier and sign just one contract with it. The gas market has been fully open to all users since 3 April 2017, so you can also pick your gas supplier.
Energy regulator
Sabiedrisko pakalpojumu regulēšanas komisija (SPRK)
Dispute resolution
Sabiedrisko pakalpojumu regulēšanas komisija (SPRK) – sūdzības un strīdi
First complain in writing to the energy company; it must reply within 15 days (30 days if extra checks are needed). If you are not satisfied, send the same complaint with the company's reply to SPRK. Disputes about bills, debts or damages go to court.
Compare prices not run by the state
energija24.lv (Latvijas Brīvā elektroenerģijas tirgus asociācija; SPRK apliecināts)
Switching supplier
Every electricity supplier serving households must offer a 'universal service': a 12-month fixed price with free early termination. Other contracts may charge an early-exit fee if the contract says so. For gas, sign with the new supplier by the 15th to switch on the 1st of the next month.
Price rises
The minimum notice a supplier must give before raising prices could not be confirmed on an official page.
Regulated price
Household electricity prices are set by suppliers, but each must offer the universal service (12-month fixed price, free early exit). For gas, the price for 'saistītie lietotāji' is calculated with an SPRK-approved method and reviewed twice a year.
Help if money is tight
Protected users get a monthly discount on their electricity bill: EUR 20 for low-income households, families with a disabled child and people with group I disability; EUR 25 for large families. No application needed: it is applied automatically by participating suppliers.
Protection against cut-off
If a household does not pay, the supplier may send a warning no earlier than 10 days after the due date. Only if you still do not pay, at least 20 days after the warning, can it ask the grid operator to cut supply. Supply is restored within 5 days after payment.
If your supplier goes bust
If your supplier leaves the market, your supply continues under 'last guaranteed supply' (pēdējā garantētā piegāde) from the last-resort supplier, so you are not cut off. Choose a new supplier as soon as possible.
Power cut
The grid operator must fix an unplanned power cut as fast as possible, within 24 hours. If a cut lasts longer (except storms with at least a yellow warning, force majeure and similar cases), large grid operators must compensate you with a lower connection fee for that billing period. Report a fault or low voltage to Sadales tīkls online; phone 8404 gives information about faults (from abroad +371 67727403 is the customer centre). In dangerous situations (flames, smoke or explosions at electrical equipment) call 112 at once.
Cooling-off period
For contracts signed online, by phone or outside the company's premises you can withdraw within 14 days; for a service contract the period runs from the day you sign. If the company did not tell you about this right, you have 1 year. If you asked for supply to start during the 14 days, you pay a proportional amount for what you used.
Smart meter
Smart-meter rollout status and whether households can refuse could not be confirmed on an official page.
Solar panels
Households with solar panels can use net metering (neto uzskaite, run by the grid operator) or net billing (neto norēķini, agreed with your supplier). Switching to net billing or selling your surplus ends net metering and deletes stored kWh.
Free energy advice
If you struggle with housing costs, apply to your municipal social service for housing allowance (mājokļa pabalsts). It takes into account heating, hot water, electricity, gas and water costs, after a check of household income and assets.
Fixed and dynamic contracts
Households choose between a fixed-price contract (price fixed for the agreed period, works with any meter) and an exchange-price contract that follows Nord Pool prices. SPRK says the exchange price suits you only if you follow prices and can shift use to cheaper hours.
- With an exchange-price contract a smart meter helps: you pay the hourly market price and can save by using electricity when prices are low. (sprk.gov.lv)
Energy sharing and communities
Consumers who produce electricity can share it with others through an energy community (energokopiena). It must be registered in the Energy Resources Information System (ERIS), sign a sharing contract with one electricity trader, and use 80% of its output for immediate self-consumption.
- Up to 5 connected active users with a combined capacity under 50 kW can share electricity as 'saistītie aktīvie lietotāji' without registering a community. (eva.gov.lv)
- The rules are set in Cabinet Regulation No. 808 of 10 December 2024 on registering and running energy communities; the Electricity Market Law defines electricity sharing. (likumi.lv)
Heating without the gas grid
District heating companies supplying more than 5,000 MWh a year are regulated by SPRK, which approves their tariffs on a cost basis; small systems are not regulated. If unhappy with the service, first complain to the heat company, then to SPRK.
- SPRK publishes the approved heat tariffs of the companies it regulates on its website. (sprk.gov.lv)
Grants for heat pumps and insulation
Home owners can get up to 70% (max EUR 15,000) towards heat pumps, pellet boilers, solar collectors, solar panels or a district-heating connection. You apply to Vides investīciju fonds after installation, with a secure e-signature.
- A Modernisation Fund programme approved on 17 February 2026 supports solar panels, heat pumps and solar collectors for multi-apartment buildings and energy communities (up to 70%); applications go to Vides investīciju fonds. (kem.gov.lv)
- ALTUM's energy-efficiency programme for multi-apartment buildings (EU funds 2021-2027) stopped accepting new applications for general renovation from 2 September 2026. (altum.lv)
Charging an electric car at home
In a multi-apartment building, a parking space for electric cars with a charging point needs a decision of the owners' community: owners representing more than half of all apartments must vote in favour.
Back-billing and estimated bills
If a meter works incorrectly or there is a calculation error, the volume is corrected for the last billing period, based on your average use in the previous period or after metering is restored.
- Your use is set from smart-meter remote readings, from your historical average adjusted at meter checks, or from readings you declare yourself. (likumi.lv)
Energy costs for tenants
In a multi-apartment building you pay the building manager (pārvaldnieks), who contracts heat, water and other services. The heat share is set by the method the manager chooses, and each year the manager must report the building's total heat use.
- Apartment owners must pay for services linked to using the apartment, such as heating, water, sewerage and waste removal. (likumi.lv)
Grid connection
For a new or changed connection, the grid operator (mostly Sadales tīkls) must give you technical requirements within 20 days of your application, and connect your installation within 10 days after you report it is ready. The cost is the zone's rate per load unit times your permitted load, plus connection costs.
- These SPRK connection rules were adopted on 23 April 2026 and apply from 1 May 2026. (likumi.lv)