The government will maintain the social electricity tariff discount at 33.8% next year, according to a decision published in Diário da República on Monday.
“The discount to be applied to the tariffs for access to electricity networks, applicable from January 1, 2024, […] it must correspond to a value that allows a discount of 33.8% on the transitional tariffs for sales to final consumers of electricity, excluding VAT, other taxes, contributions, fees and default interest that may apply.”reads the order signed by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate, Ana Fontoura Gouveia.
The government also emphasized that the social electricity tariff “aims to protect economically vulnerable households, guarantee them access to this essential service and reduce financial burden”.
In 2020, the social electricity tariff also began to cover unemployment situations.
On Thursday, the Council of Ministers approved the new financing model for the social electricity tariff, which will also be shared by suppliers and other actors in the electricity consumption market.
EDP announced on October 29, 2020 that it would ask the European Commission (EC) to analyze the financing mechanism for the social tariff on behalf of producers, since electricity had been charged since 2011 until then at costs exceeding 460 million euros. euros.
In November last year, EDP told Lusa that the EC confirmed the discriminatory nature of the financing model for social energy rates, in response to the company’s verification request in 2020.
Source: DN
