ERSE approves directive on the distribution of financing costs for the 2026 social electricity tariff
23/12/2025
ERSE - the Portuguese Energy Services Regulatory Authority today approved the Directive on the allocation for financing the costs of electricity social tariff in 2026, including adjustments of costs referring to 2024 and 2025. According to Decree-Law No. 15/2022, as currently worded, producers, suppliers and consumers operating directly in the wholesale market are obliged to finance the costs of the electricity social tariff.
The approval of this Directive was preceded by Public Consultation No. 136, as provided in the legislation, which allowed financing agents and other interested parties to express their views before ERSE's decision.
For 2026, the costs of the social tariff are expected to be €137 million, with a financing ratio between producers and suppliers around 35% and 65%, respectively.
As shown in the following figure, the financing of electricity social tariff by suppliers will be 0.20666 cEUR/kWh in 2026, which is higher than the current value of 0.16574 cEUR/kWh, but still below the value set in 2024 (0.28930 cEUR/kWh). On the producers side, the financing of electricity social tariff will be 0.283 EUR/(kVA.month) in 2026, which is higher than the current value of 0.242 EUR/(kVA.month), but still lower than the 2024 value of 0.336 EUR/(kVA.month).
The observed increase in the contributions from suppliers and producers are mainly due to the higher amount to be financed in 2026, but also due to a deviation from the amount forecasted for the year 2025, which has led to an adjustment reflected in the amount borne by the financing agents in 2026.
In preparing the Directive now approved, the comments received in Public Consultation No. 136 were considered and the final report on the consultation will be published in due course. This report will contain a summary of the comments received, ERSE's assessment of them and the final decisions made on the issues identified in the consultation.
