Those who have not yet chosen a free market offer for their electricity supply, as of yesterday, with the end of the protected market, have automatically switched to the so-called Gradual Protection Electricity Service. A transition for which the continuity of the electricity supply service has been guaranteed, which in our territory has passed into the hands of Hera, the company that won the tender. This transition has not included customers defined by Arera (Regulatory Authority for Energy) as ‘vulnerable’, for whom the supply with the National Electricity Service has remained active. A very delicate phase, which will impact on the wallets of families, for which Federconsumatori is trying to clarify.
How should one move?
“For all non-vulnerable users – says Alessandro Pertoldi, provincial president of Federconsumatori – our advice is to stay with the Gradual Protection service because, even if there may be a small increase in the cost of electricity, to date it remains the most advantageous. This is because when the service was awarded through public auctions (which in our territory was won by Hera), the operators presented downward auction offers, managing to contain costs even for the end user. For this reason, as an association, even if interested citizens can immediately turn to the free market, we recommend waiting. In fact, they will have three years to decide and understand the most convenient offer for them. Also because a non-vulnerable customer, once they have switched to the free market, will no longer be able to go back”.
A choice that will need to be informed. How to navigate the various offers?
“We criticized Arera for not having started an information campaign in time – says Pertoldi – but we must point out a very useful tool that they have made available to the consumer. On their institutional website ‘Portale Offerte’, by entering some data (for example annual consumption), it is possible to have indications on what the best offers are in a given geographical area. In any case, we always recommend choosing operators that have a physical office, where it is possible to have a dialogue that is not only by telephone or door-to-door”.
What about vulnerable customers?
“The advice is to stay on the protected market: not only that, vulnerable users who have signed a contract with the free market in the past can even return to the protected service. We recommend it to all interested parties”.
Alice Dies
