"The universal service gave people in Estonia a somewhat cheaper electricity price for three months. However, today energy market prices have fallen so much that the universal service is currently the most expensive option for consumer," said Eesti Energia board member Agnes Roos.

Roos added, that for several months, universal service subscribers had been paying far more than those on fixed-price electricity packages or ones tied to the exchange price.

As a result, Eesti Energia will offer over 200,000 of its private universal service customers the chance to switch to the six-month fixed-price Kindel 6 electricity package at a cost of 15.89 cents per Kilowatt hour (kWh).

The average amount of electricity consumed monthly by Eesti Energia private customers currently subscribing to the universal service is 229 kWh, for which they pay €44.

The same amount of energy consumption, would cost €36 on the Kindel 6 package.

According to Roos, the law obliged electricity providers to automatically transfer customers of more expensive electricity packages to the universal service last fall. However, she said that it is now up to customers themselves to take action in order to get cheaper electricity prices.

"We can't automatically switch anyone off the universal service," said Roos.

People who want to leave universal service can also choose another electricity package. Since the start of 2023, more than 22,000 Eesti Energia customers have opted out of the universal service.

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