New EMA Rules for Electricity Contract Auto-Renewal (2026)
Last updated: 12 September 2026
From 19 June 2026, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) introduced stronger safeguards for residential electricity contracts that automatically renew — aimed at a specific, common problem: households missing the notice that their contract was about to renew, then getting hit with an early termination fee once they noticed.
What changed
- Two notifications instead of one. Retailers must now notify you twice before an auto-renewal: the first notice at least 10 days before your contract expires, and a second notice within 3 days before or on the day of the renewal itself.
- Two different communication channels. Each notification must go out via both a mail channel (email or postal mail) and a mobile channel (SMS, WhatsApp, or an app notification) — not just one or the other.
- A longer penalty-free exit window. If your contract auto-renews, retailers must now waive any early termination fee for 60 days after the renewal — up from 30 days previously.
Why EMA made this change
EMA had received feedback from residential consumers who missed the single notification retailers were previously required to send, only realising their contract had auto-renewed after the old 30-day window had already passed — at which point switching away meant paying an early termination fee under the newly renewed contract. The double-notification and extended waiver period are designed to close that gap.
What this means for you
If your contract is nearing its end, expect to hear from your retailer twice, through two different channels — don't assume a single missed email means you weren't notified at all. And if you do get auto-renewed onto a new contract you didn't want, you now have a full 60 days to switch away without an early termination fee, rather than 30. That's a good window to compare plans properly rather than rushing a decision — see our live plan comparison or the switching guide for the process itself.