The Consumer WG works to enhance the protection of household consumers in the MEDREG countries. That includes the preparation of surveys and recommendations on energy billing, the developments of standards on consumer protection and information and the study of how the role of consumers in the energy market is evolving. The CUS WG also identifies and promotes best practices in consumer protection, including vulnerable customers and quality of service of electricity and gas, from the point of view of final consumers.

Recently, the CUS WG has been seeking synergies among other organizations to reinforce its capability to support the strengthening of consumer protection in the Mediterranean region and beyond: it is indeed widely acknowledged that safeguarding consumer rights lies at the heart of the tasks entrusted to regulators, as informed and active consumers are an essential condition in efficient and sustainable energy markets.

• Report on “The Role of Digitalisation and Cybersecurity in Consumer Protection”
• Support activity to ARH (Algeria) on “Digitalisation of Regulation: Information Systems, Traceability, and Technology Monitoring”

• Development and diffusion of best practices in the management of final consumers.
• Support the establishment of an integrated consumer protection framework in the Mediterranean energy sector.
• Enhance stakeholders’ engagement in the regulation process, such as consumer associations.

• Update MEDREG recommendations on the minimal requirements to ensure consumer protection in the Mediterranean region.
• Compare existing procedures and regulation on energy billing to final consumers in the Mediterranean energy market.
• Compare existing experience in consumer education and information to final consumers in the Mediterranean energy market.
• Analysis of existing policy instruments targeted to vulnerable consumers, including a survey of “vulnerability” definitions at national level; analysis of the potential role for energy regulators in this field.
• Analysis of consumers’ engagements tools in the regulatory process, including a survey of existing consumer associations.