Bologna, 2 July 2024 – The first of July ended protected electricity market and also in Emilia Romagna the transition to the has begun free market. All those who have not yet signed a free market contract will automatically switch to the service with gradual protectionswith the exception of the vulnerable customers who will be able to continue with the option of greater protection and with the same supplier. But what happens now? And what should be done?
Electricity and gas bills, the protected energy market is over: what happens now
Luce, what happens with the end of the protected market?
“The protection services are electricity supply services under economic and contractual conditions established by the Authority, intended for domestic customers who have not chosen a contract from free market – explains He is nurturingthe Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment which carries out regulatory and control activities in the sectors of electricity, natural gas, water services, waste cycle and district heating -. These protection services, in some time, will no longer be available for selection, except for vulnerable customers (due to age, economic difficulty or disability), for whom it will be possible to have a supply under conditions regulated by the Authority. From 1 July 2024, the non-vulnerable electricity customer who does not have an existing contract on the free market has automatically switched to the Gradual Protection Service and will be assigned to the winning seller of the auction in the area where it is located. The Service lasts just under 3 years (until 31 March 2027) and, in the absence of an express choice, at the end of this period the customer will be supplied always from the same seller on the basis of their most favorable free market offer. Naturally, every customer, vulnerable or not, can choose at any time to enter the free market. No type of switch from one vendor to another entails the interruption of supply”.
Gas, what happens from July 1st 2024?
“The protection services are energy supply services at economic and contractual conditions established by the Authority, intended for domestic customers who have not chosen a contract from the free market – Arera always explains -. For gas, from January 2024, the protection service is no longer available and can no longer be chosen except by vulnerable customers (due to age, economic difficulties or disabilities), for whom it is possible to have a supply under conditions regulated by the Authority. Non-vulnerable domestic customers have switched to the free market, having chosen whether to stay with the same seller (but with a different offer) or having turned to to other sellers. Of course, every customer, vulnerable or not, can choose at any time to enter the free market. In no case can there be a supply disruptionnor the replacement of the meter”.
What is the graduated protection service?
“The gradual protection service is the service provided by Arera to accompany the transition to the free electricity market after the removal of price protection (protected market). All customers who automatically re-enter the gradual protection service, without any interruption in the supply of electricity, they don’t have a seller on the free market. The service with gradual protections is provided by vendors selected through specific competitive procedures. Each territorial area is served by a single supplier, who can also serve multiple areas at the same time”.
How does the graduated protection service work for non-vulnerable domestic customers?
“It concerns all domestic customers not vulnerable that in July 2024 will not have an electricity supplier on the free market. The contractual conditions of the service with gradual protections correspond to those of the free-price offers with equivalent protection conditions (Placet offers) with reference to the bimonthly billing times, the guarantees requested from the customer (none in the case of payment via direct debitpostal or credit card, in all other cases a security deposit will be charged in the first bill, equal to 11.5 euros for each kW of contractually committed power); and finally the payment methods: direct debit, postal or credit card or postal order”.
What is the graduated protection service for small businesses?
“It concerns all small businesses (number of employees between 10 and 50 and/or annual turnover between 2 and 10 million euros) owners of ‘low voltage’ withdrawal points, a part of micro-enterprises (less than 10 employees and annual turnover not exceeding 2 million euros) owners of at least one withdrawal point with contractually committed power greater than 15 kW who do not have an electricity supplier on the free market”.
What are the contractual conditions of the Gradual Protection Service?
“The contractual conditions correspond to those of the offers at free price under equal conditions of protection (Placet offers). The economic conditions relating to the expenditure for energy materials are based on the actual values of the Pun and include fees to cover other costs of supplying and marketing. The price paid by end customers also depends on the level of parameters offered by each operator of the service with gradual protections in each territorial area of assignment of the service”.
How do I get contacted by the gradual protection service?
“Each provider of the service with gradual protections to which a territorial area has been assigned, sends to its assigned customers a communication with the operator’s references (website and contacts), the reason and date of activation of the service and the conditions of provision, the methods of sending the bills, the right to withdraw from the contract and the references to the Offers Portal and the Energy and Environment Consumer Help Desk”.
