Starting from 2024 there will be important news for owners of domestic electricity and gas users. In fact, from next year the protected market and all users will have to switch to free market. This transition has already happened for SMEs and micro-businesses during this year. The transition to the free market will mainly mean that the price will no longer be set by ARERA, as in the case of the protected market, but will be set by individual operators.
Those who do not comply by the deadline will obviously not be left without electricity and gas because the gradual protection service will come into force, a step envisaged by ARERA to accompany users to the free market after the removal of the protected one. At this point a fee will be applied please where the manager will decide the price to apply but following the indications of the authority.
However, be careful that not everyone will be required to switch to the free market. In fact, there are some defined customers vulnerable which will be able to continue to be in the protected market. Let’s see who they are.
Electricity: who are the vulnerable customers who will be able to remain in the protected market
Starting from electricity users, the mandatory transition to the free market will start on 1 April 2024 for non-vulnerable domestic customers. Those who fall into the vulnerable category will be able to remain in the protected market. These are:
people over 75 years of age; holders of social bonus for economic hardship; subject with disabilities (pursuant to article 3 of law 5 February 1992, n. 104); owner of a supply that powers life-saving medical-therapeutic equipment; owner of a supply located in emergency housing facilities following calamitous events; owner of a supply located in the smaller non-interconnected islands.
Those who fall into these categories will be able to continue to be served under contractual and economic conditions defined and updated by the Authority. Obviously they will still be free to move to a free market and choose their own manager independently.
What changes for gas
For users of gas the news is that the transition will not take place in April as for electricity but will take place in January 2024. Those who have not yet made the transition to the free market will, starting from this month of September, receive a communication from their seller in which the possibility of choosing the most convenient free market offer will be highlighted. If the customer does not make the switch by January, the manager will continue to provide the service with economic and contractual conditions similar to those of the offers please.
Just as for electricity users, there is also a category of vulnerable people for gas who will not have the obligation to switch to the protected market. They fall into this category:
anyone over the age of 75; those who find themselves in economically disadvantaged conditions such as recipients of social bonuses; people with disabilities; who is a user in an emergency housing facility following calamitous events.
How to communicate your vulnerability
If a customer falls into one of these categories and still has the right to the protected market, he must communicate this to the manager. For both gas and electricity you will have to complete a self-certification in which you declare the reason why you are among the vulnerable and send it to the manager. Ready-made models can be found on the ARERA website available to customers.
2023-09-30 13:18:00
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