Electricity in Portugal: how to choose the best supplier?

May 28, 2022

Do you have questions about electricity in Portugal? This article is for you! What are the different energy suppliers in Portugal? How much does electricity cost in Portugal? How do I open an electricity contract?

1 : Electricity suppliers in Portugal

There are several electricity suppliers in Portugal. The best-known is EDP, which stands for Energia De Portugal. It’s the equivalent ofEDF in France.

Although EDP is widely known, we often forget that there are many other suppliers, and it may be worth taking the time to compare them and choose the one that best suits your needs.

Other electricity suppliers in Portugal include :

2: Electricity tariffs in Portugal

Electricity prices in Portugal are among the most expensive in Europe. This is due to the many taxes included in the price of electricity (46%).

Without these taxes, Portugal would almost have the cheapest electricity in Europe. In fact, if we take a look at a bill, we see that electricity in Portugal itself represents only a tiny fraction of the bill, and that the majority of the bill is linked to taxes.

According to Eurostat data for 2021, average electricity prices for households in the 2nd half of 2021 were lowest in Hungary (€10.1 per 100 kWh) and highest in Denmark (€34.5). The EU average electricity price was €23.7 per 100 kWh. In the 2nd half of 2021, Portugal was ranked 10th.

Finally, you should know that your consumption will never be €0 because of “contracted power”. This means that even if you unplug all your equipment and the electrical panel and go away for a month on vacation, you still have to pay that famous “contracted power”.

Electricity tariffs in Europe. Eurostat data 2021.

3 : Electricity simulators in Portugal

There are no good or bad tariffs. There are tariffs adapted to your daily needs. So it’s important to take into account the hours you spend at home, the type of use you make of electricity…

To help you compare the different agencies, there are a number of online comparators. You’ll need to answer a number of questions: the number of people in your household, how often you’re at home, whether it’s your primary or secondary residence, whether or not you have a lot of electronic equipment..

Depending on your answers, the comparator will tell you which supplier is best suited to your needs.

The best-known electricity simulators in Portugal are those provided by the Electricity Regulatory Authority: Deco Proteste and Poupe Energia.

Once on the simulator, simply fill in the fields presented and wait for the simulator to work its magic, presenting you with the tariffs best suited to your needs.

Simulator questions

4 : Opening an electricity contract in Portugal

As mentioned above, I recommend that you use an online comparator to find the best supplier for your needs.

Once you’ve found the right supplier, check the following points:

Select the power you need,

Choose the billing frequency
Choose the payment method
Check cancellation conditions

To open your electricity account in Portugal, you’ll need to present the following:

Identification (passport or identity card).
Taxpayer’s number (the famous NIF – Numero Identificaçao Fiscal )
RIB from a Portuguese bank account;
Lease or purchase contract.

Some operators offer to open an electricity contract remotely or by telephone, which is often quicker.

5 : Changing suppliers

Once you’ve chosen your contract, don’t hesitate to take another look at the simulator to see if there are any more attractive offers for you.

As with all your other contracts, it’s a good idea to take a look at the tariffs from time to time, to make sure you’re always using the most competitive rates. Rates change regularly, and what used to be an attractive deal may no longer be.

But consumers are also free to change whenever they like, as there are rarely any loyalty agreements or penalties.

Do you want to change supplier? Don’t worry, when you sign a service contract with a new energy supplier, the latter automatically takes care of all the necessary formalities with your previous electricity supplier. This is free of charge.

In conclusion

It’s worth noting that in early 2022, the government decided to restrict electricity production in 5 dams in order to preserve water for human consumption, due to the drought the country is experiencing. With less water to produce electricity, fossil fuels will be used to a greater extent, which could have further repercussions on the price of electricity in Portugal

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