Electricity service in Portugal

Requesting connection to the electricity grid

Before requesting connection, you should make sure that the electrical installation is ready and certified to receive electricity.

Once the electrical installation has been completed, you must contact the distribution system operator and request a quote for connection to the electricity grid.

The grid connection may be carried out by a company chosen by the consumer or the distribution system operator. If the consumer is unable to find a company to provide a quote for the connection, the distribution system operator is obliged to carry out the connection.

More information can be found on the website of the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE).

Requesting electricity supply

When moving to a property that has already had a power connection, you do not need to remain with the same company as in the previous contract, you can choose any supplier on the Portuguese market.

Before choosing a power supplier, you can simulate the level of power you need based on the number of appliances that you use at the same time.

Some suppliers have offers for the supply of electricity and natural gas in the same contract. Compare the different offers to find out if it is more advantageous for you to contract the two services together or separately.

You can compare different suppliers’ prices by using the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) simulator or the Energy Agency (ADENE) simulator.

More information can be found on the ERSE website.

Minimum term contracts and switching suppliers

Before you switch supplier, check whether you are within the minimum term of the current contract.

A contract can only have a minimum term if an advantage is provided when you sign up. The minimum term is not automatically renewed but if a new offer, including a new advantage, is made at the end of the contract, a new minimum term may be agreed.

If you are not within the minimum term, you can switch supplier free of charge whenever you want and how often you want. If you are within the minimum term you may have to pay a penalty.

In order to switch supplier, you do not need to cancel the contract with the current supplier, the new supplier will deal with the cancellation.

The switching process is free of cost and must be completed within three weeks of signing the new contract.

During the switching process the supply cannot be cut and, within a maximum of six weeks after the change, the previous supplier has to send the last bill.

Some suppliers have offers for the supply of electricity and natural gas in the same contract. Compare the different offers to find out if it is more advantageous for you to contract the two services together or separately.

You can compare different suppliers’ prices by using the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) simulator or the Energy Agency (ADENE) simulator.

More information can be found on the ERSE website.

Complaining about electricity services

When you have a problem, you should contact your power supplier to get an answer.

If the supplier does not reply or you are not satisfied with the reply, you can:

  • submit a complaint or request for information to ERSE via the e-complaints book
  • submit a complaint in the physical complaints book at your power supplier’s service centres
  • send your complaint by letter to the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) at Rua Dom Cristóvão da Gama, 1, 3.º - 1400-113 Lisboa.

Following the complaint, ERSE will recommend a solution to resolve the conflict. If the company accepts this solution, the issue is resolved.

If the company does not accept ERSE’s recommendation, the conflict will remain open and you may apply to:

Arbitration Centres are recommended as they provide a quicker, cheaper solution and their decisions are equivalent to those made by a court of law.

More information can be found on the ERSE website.

Financial support

In Portugal, there is a 'social tariff' for the supply of electricity which guarantees a discount on bills.

If you meet the requirements for entitlement to this support, the social tariff is automatically allocated, you do not need to do anything.

If you are entitled to the social tariff, the supplier will send you a letter informing you that you have been granted this right.

The social tariff is granted to persons who receive:

  • solidarity supplement for the elderly
  • income support supplement
  • unemployment assistance
  • family allowances
  • old-age pension
  • social disability pension
  • up to EUR 5 808 per year plus EUR 2 904 for each non-income earning member of the household, i.e.:
    • if there are no income earning members in the household, the maximum amount is EUR 5 808 per year
    • if there is one non-income earning member of the household, the maximum amount is EUR 8 712 per year (5 808 + 2 904)
    • if there are two non-income earning members of the household, the maximum amount is EUR 11 616 per year (5 808 + 2 904 + 2 904)
    • and so on, up to a maximum of ten people without income in the same household

More information can be found on the ERSE website.

Assistance services

For more information or if you need help, please contact ERSE: