From tomorrow, Monday 1st July, the Gradual Protection electricity service will begin. Also in Novara will be Hera Comm, a subsidiary of the Hera Group, the new electricity operator for the approximately 24 thousand families in the province who have not chosen free market offers and who are therefore currently served in the Greater Protection market.
With the end of the protected market, these customers will automatically move to the transitional Gradual Protection service, which will be provided by the Hera Group. The multiutility has, in fact, won the tender called by the single buyer for the supply of citizens currently served by Maggior Tutela in 37 Italian provinces including, in addition to Novara, also the Piedmontese Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria.
The conditions of the Gradual Protection service, the same throughout Italy, are those defined by the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment (Arera). There will be two main components of the energy price: a first part, which will be variable, covers the energy supply costs, and will derive from the average of wholesale market prices. Added to this is a fixed component, aimed at covering marketing costs which, by virtue of the tender discounts, will result in savings for the customer compared to the current Greater Protection. As regards billing, however, it will continue to be bimonthly.
The transition from the current manager will be automatic, therefore without the need to sign a new contract and without any burden for citizens. Thanks to this automation, which will also concern any bank debits, the continuity of the electricity supply will be guaranteed to everyone. However, the arrival of the new manager will not affect customers defined as vulnerable by Arera, for whom the Greater Protection service with the current supplier will remain active. Vulnerability is triggered with one of the following requirements: being aged 75 or over, being a beneficiary of social bonuses, having particular health conditions or a disability, residing on smaller, unconnected islands or in emergency homes following disasters.
In the coming months, Hera Comm will be present with a counter in Novara. In the meantime, for customers currently in Maggior Tutela, Hera has activated a toll-free number (800.554.000) to which they can turn for any information on the transition in progress.
