What changes from today, July 1stwith the end of the protected market for electricity bills?
Starting today i non-vulnerable domestic customers will gradually come out of the market with the greatest protections. Who has not chosen a contract that falls within the free market will automatically switch to the so-called “gradual protection service”.
In this case it will be the same ARERARegulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment, to define the economic conditions to be applied also on the basis of the specific insolvency proceedings.
End of protected market for electricity bills: what changes from today, July 1st?
First of all, it is important to clarify that the end of the protected market for electricity bills will not create any “hole” in the supply also for customers who have not taken action to choose afree market offer.
In fact, subjects with contracts in the market with greater protection always have the possibility to choose one of the available offers.
In this regard, it is possible to check the offers available through the specific ARERA portal, active since 1 July 2018.
The dedicated portal collects all the offers on the market of electricity and natural gas retail sales, reporting the conditions to facilitate the choice.
For those who have not chosen to move to the free market the transition to the automatic one is expected “gradual protection service”.
This service was prepared by ARERA for the transition to the free market once price protection ended.
In this case, therefore, it is not foreseen interruption in the electricity supply but there is an automatic switch to selected sellers through specifications insolvency proceedings.
In this regard, ARERA specifies the following:
“Each territorial area is served by a single supplier, who can also serve multiple areas simultaneously.”
To verify who will be the reference supplier, identified based on theterritorial areayou can refer to the section dedicated to the gradual protection service of the ARERA portal.
Protected electricity bill market: who can stay beyond July 1st
Some categories of customers will be able to continue to remain in protected market even after today, July 1st.
The opportunity is reserved for the so-called “vulnerable customers”. To summarize the requirements to fall within this definition is ARERA itself.
They are considerate vulnerable customers subjects who:
- are in economically disadvantaged conditions (e.g. bonus recipients);
- are in serious health conditions that require the use of medical-therapeutic equipment powered by electricity. This category also includes cases in which there are people who do not coincide with the holder of the supply contract in the same conditions;
- they are people with disabilities pursuant to article 3 of law 104/92;
- have a user in an emergency housing facility following a catastrophic event;
- they have a user on a smaller, non-interconnected island;
- are over 75 years of age.
Those who fall into these categories will be able to remain in the most protective service.
To be identified as vulnerable you must communicate the condition to your supplier.
Interested parties must complete and submit the appropriate form.
- ARERA – Self-certification form for vulnerable customers
- Declaration in lieu of affidavit for vulnerable customers.
In case situations arise that make lose the requirementsthe supply holder must communicate this to his seller.
In case the subjects wanted switch to the free marketthey can do it at any time.
