Setting Up Electricity, Internet and Home Services in Luxembourg: A First-Month Guide

In this article

1. First, check what the rent includes
2. Electricity
3. Gas and heating
4. Internet and phone
5. Water
6. Home insurance
7. Waste
8. Registration and address
9. A simple order of steps
10. Questions we are often asked
11. Our take

First, check what the rent includes

Before contracting anything, read your lease and ask the landlord or agent exactly what is covered.

• Furnished rooms and studios often include electricity, heating, water and internet in the charges, sometimes as a flat amount.
• Unfurnished apartments usually include building charges such as heating, water and common areas, while electricity in the flat and internet are your own contracts.
• Houses are usually entirely your responsibility, including water and heating.

Our guide to rental charges explains the difference between charges and personal contracts.

Electricity

Luxembourg separates the grid operator from the supplier.

• Creos operates most of the electricity distribution network. It manages connections and meters, including the smart meters known as Smarty, but does not sell you electricity.
• Suppliers sell the electricity and send the bills. Several are active in Luxembourg, including Enovos, LEO, Nordenergie, SUDenergie, Steinergy and cooperative suppliers. The regulator, the ILR, keeps the full list.

When you move in, choose a supplier and give them your address and meter reading on the day you take the keys. If you do not choose, you are supplied by the default supplier defined by law. Photograph the meter in the entry inventory; it avoids disputes about consumption before your arrival. See our guide to the état des lieux.

Compare offers: prices, green electricity options and fixed or variable tariffs differ between suppliers.

Gas and heating

If your flat has individual gas heating, you also need a gas contract. In buildings with central heating, heating is usually part of the building charges, and there is nothing to set up. Heat pumps run on electricity.

Internet and phone

Luxembourg has good fixed and mobile coverage, with fibre widely available in Luxembourg City.

• Main providers include POST Luxembourg, Tango, Orange and several smaller operators. Offers combine internet, TV and mobile in different ways.
• Check availability at your address on the providers' websites before signing. Most of the city has fibre, but not every building is connected.
• Installation times vary. If the building is already connected, activation can be quick. If a technician needs to install or connect fibre, it can take longer. Order as soon as you have signed your lease.
• Bridge the gap with a mobile data plan or a portable router if you start work before the connection is active.

Water

In apartment buildings, water is usually included in the building charges and reconciled annually. In houses, water is supplied by the commune, and you register as the consumer when you move in.

Home insurance

Home insurance covering tenant's liability is commonly required by leases in Luxembourg and is always a good idea: it covers damage you might cause to the property, such as a water leak into the flat below. Owners need insurance for the property itself. Many insurers offer combined policies; compare the cover for water damage and liability.

Waste

Waste collection is organised by the commune. In Luxembourg City, households sort their waste into separate bins and bags, including Valorlux blue bags for packaging. Our guide to waste and recycling in Luxembourg City explains the system.

Registration and address

Many contracts ask for proof of address, and many administrative steps depend on your registration with the commune. Register promptly after moving in. See our guide to registering with your commune.

A simple order of steps

1. Before moving in: ask what the rent includes; check fibre availability at the address; order internet.
2. On the day of the keys: photograph all meters; record readings in the entry inventory.
3. In the first days: set up electricity (and gas if needed) with your chosen supplier; take out home insurance; register with the commune.
4. In the first weeks: order Valorlux bags and learn the collection calendar; update your address with your bank and employer.

Questions we are often asked

Can I keep my mobile number from another country?

You can keep a foreign SIM, but roaming conditions vary, and a Luxembourg number is useful for local services. Many newcomers keep both for the first months.

How long do fibre installations take?

Where the building is already connected, activation can be quick. Where work is needed inside the building or the flat, it can take several weeks. Order as soon as you sign.

Who reads the meters when I leave?

Record the readings yourself on the last day, include them in the exit inventory, and send them to your suppliers with your exit date.

Should I choose a green electricity tariff?

Several suppliers offer tariffs based on renewable sources, sometimes at a similar price to standard tariffs. Compare the offers and the contract length; switching supplier later is possible.

Is there a TV licence fee?

Luxembourg does not charge a separate broadcasting licence fee for households. Television is simply part of the packages offered by providers, if you want it.

Our take

Utilities in Luxembourg are straightforward once you know that the grid and the supplier are different companies, and that internet installation needs to be ordered early. The most useful single habit is photographing every meter on the first and last day.

All our furnished rooms state clearly what the monthly price includes, and many include internet and utilities so that you can start working from your first evening. See what is available now.

This article gives general practical information and is not legal or tax advice. Procedures, amounts and deadlines change; check the current rules on guichet.lu or with the administration concerned.