According to the new Electricity Sector Tariff Regulations approved by the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE): "This change will allow consumers in low voltage (LTN) with contracted power up to 20.7 kVA (kilovolt-ampere) to change their tariff option at any time, which ranges from simple, bi-rate, or tri-rate tariffs, eliminating the requirement, currently in effect, to maintain the tariff for 12 months".
"This therefore allows for the free contracting of tariff options consistent with the offers available in the liberalised market".
In addition to this change, ERSE states that it will soon make available the study on time zones in mainland Portugal, the preliminary results of which were presented when the 2025 tariff decision was made. Based on this study, the regulator states that it will also soon put out for public consultation proposals to change the current time zones.
Approved after a public consultation process, the Electricity Sector Tariff Regulation (RT) updates regulatory mechanisms and methodologies in terms of permitted revenues and tariff structure, forming part of the new regulatory period that will be in effect from 2026 to 2029.
Regarding permitted revenues, the changes foreseen in the RT are part of ANEEL's strategic direction of "promoting demanding regulation that encourages efficient management of regulated activities, adapted to the current context of decarbonisation and decentralisation in the electricity sector."
"To this end, TOTEX-type incentive regulation methodologies are being improved for grid activities on the continent, encouraging grid operators to prioritize digitalization and flexibility solutions over more conventional options regarding the investment required to ensure an electricity system suited to the decarbonisation context," he explains.