Electricity & gas in Cyprus: your rights
The rules that protect you as an electricity and gas customer in Cyprus, and who to contact. Every fact is checked on an official source.
What is going on?
Everything at a glance
The market
By law you can switch electricity supplier free of charge, and CERA lists nine active suppliers, including EAC Supply. EAC still supplies about 91% of electricity (September 2025). There is no natural gas network for households.
Energy regulator
ΡΑΕΚ - Ρυθμιστική Αρχή Ενέργειας Κύπρου (CERA)
Dispute resolution
ΡΑΕΚ - Υποβολή Παραπόνου
Complain first to your supplier or the distribution system operator; they must reply within 20 days (3 days for bill complaints). If unhappy, resubmit within 7 days. Only then can you complain in writing to CERA.
Switching supplier
You can switch supplier easily and at no extra cost. The switch must be completed within three weeks, subject to your contract terms (e.g. notice, minimum duration); since January 2026 the technical switch takes up to 24 hours on any working day. You get a final bill within six weeks.
Price rises
Suppliers must tell household customers clearly about any price adjustment, its reasons and scope, at least one month before it takes effect. If you do not accept the new price or terms, you remain free to terminate your contract.
Regulated price
EAC Supply's household tariffs are regulated and approved by CERA. The bill includes an automatic fuel adjustment that follows EAC's actual fuel costs, plus charges for network use, public service obligations and the RES fund.
Help if money is tight
EAC's Special Household Tariff (code 08) is for specific categories of vulnerable consumers: recipients of public assistance or guaranteed minimum income, families with three or more children on child benefit, low-income pensioners, single-parent families and people with certain disabilities or serious illnesses. You must be a Cypriot, EU or EEA citizen (or have equal rights) legally resident in the government-controlled areas; apply through the EAC portal or at an EAC customer service centre. Its extra cost is covered by the public service obligation (ΥΔΩ) charge on all bills.
Protection against cut-off
Before a planned disconnection, household customers must be informed well in advance about alternatives, such as payment plans, prepayment systems, debt advice, energy audits or a temporary postponement, at no extra charge.
If your supplier goes bust
CERA designates a supplier of last resort to guarantee universal service; according to CERA this is EAC (Electricity Authority of Cyprus). The prices for customers using universal service follow a methodology set by CERA.
Power cut
Power cuts and network faults are handled by EAC's distribution system operator, not by your supplier. Report a fault on EAC's fault line 1800 (faults, tree pruning and street lighting) or online; EAC's website lists current faults and planned interruptions by district. If you see damaged or fallen power lines, keep away and call 1800. Performance rules set response times, e.g. a blown service fuse repaired within 4 hours and 2 days' notice of planned interruptions; if missed, a fixed credit is paid automatically on your next bill.
Cooling-off period
For contracts concluded online or off business premises (e.g. at your door), you have a 14-day right of withdrawal for any reason. Tell the trader clearly, e.g. by registered letter or e-mail.
Smart meter
By law, smart meters are rolled out where a cost-benefit assessment is positive, with CERA setting a timetable (target: at least 80% of customers within seven years). Current rollout progress and any right to refuse could not be verified.
Solar panels
Households can become prosumers with a grid-connected rooftop PV system for their own use. Such systems run under net-metering or net-billing schemes; support schemes are set by the Ministry's Energy Service.
Fixed and dynamic contracts
By law, the supplier with the most customers and every supplier with over 200,000 customers must let customers who have a smart meter choose a dynamic-price electricity contract. The supplier must explain the opportunities, costs and risks, and needs your consent before moving you to one.
- Other suppliers may offer dynamic-price contracts but do not have to. CERA sets the details by regulatory decision and must publish a yearly report on these contracts, including their impact on bills and price volatility. (cera.org.cy)
Energy sharing and communities
Households can join a citizen energy community (Ενεργειακή Κοινότητα Πολιτών) or a renewable energy community (Κοινότητα Ανανεώσιμης Ενέργειας) and share the electricity it produces, while keeping all their rights as customers. Communities must register with CERA; the distribution operator must facilitate the sharing.
- CERA Regulatory Decision 04/2024 (Official Gazette, 15 November 2024): a community needs at least 15 members (4 if all members are municipalities or communities), and members are free to leave. (cera.org.cy)
- Members pay the normal regulated network charges. The distribution operator must give priority to installing smart meters for community members. Disputes between a community and the grid operators go to CERA's out-of-court procedure. (cera.org.cy)
Heating without the gas grid
There is no gas grid or confirmed district heating for homes. Heating oil prices have been free, not set by the state, since May 2004. The Consumer Protection Service publishes a weekly fuel-price bulletin, including heating oil, compared with the EU average.
Grants for heat pumps and insulation
The grant scheme «Εξοικονομώ – Αναβαθμίζω στις Κατοικίες (2026)» supports major energy upgrades of existing homes: insulation, windows, shading, solar water heaters, high-efficiency heat pumps, PV and batteries. Any private person may submit one application online, from 20 October to 30 December 2026 or until funds run out.
- Maximum grant: €32,000 for investment type A (nearly zero-energy home) and €24,000 for type B; the works must save at least 60% energy. Vulnerable consumers, homes in mountain areas and refugee-estate homes get a higher grant. (industry.gov.cy)
- The Fund for Renewable Energy and Energy Saving (Ταμείο ΑΠΕ και ΕΞ.Ε) had no open grant schemes when checked; its earlier home PV/EV-charging schemes are closed. (resecfund.org.cy)
Back-billing and estimated bills
By law you must be billed on your actual consumption at least once a year. Without a remotely read meter you get accurate billing information at least every six months (every three on request or with e-billing). Estimated bills are allowed only if you did not report your own meter reading for that period.
- With a remotely read (smart) meter, accurate billing information based on actual consumption must be available at least every month, also online. (cera.org.cy)
Vulnerable and medical customers
Who counts as a vulnerable customer is set by ministerial decree. The law allows criteria such as income, age and critical dependence on electrical equipment for health reasons, and protection measures such as a ban on disconnection in critical periods.
- Measures for customers critically dependent on medical equipment are set by the Minister of Health; social-security benefits by the Minister of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance, in a joint decree. (cera.org.cy)
- In practice, EAC's Special Household Tariff (code 08) covers the vulnerable categories: recipients of public assistance or guaranteed minimum income, families with three or more children on child benefit, low-income pensioners, single-parent families and people with certain disabilities or serious illnesses (e.g. dialysis, multiple sclerosis, tracheostomy). Apply through the EAC portal or at an EAC customer service centre. (pilot.eac.com.cy)
Grid connection
The distribution operator (EAC DSO) must show in its connection offer the detailed equipment costs, including unit prices. It may refuse access only for lack of capacity, with duly justified objective reasons; you can then use CERA's dispute procedure.
- Small renewable self-consumption systems up to 10.8 kW (up to 50 kW if the grid stays safe) connect after a simple notification to the DSO. If the DSO does not refuse or propose another connection point within one month, you may connect. (cera.org.cy)