Electricity in Portugal for Expats

Portugal fully liberalised its retail electricity market in 2006. Today, dozens of licensed suppliers compete for residential customers, ranging from the historic incumbent EDP to digital-first challengers such as Goldenergy and Iberdrola.

On the mainland a regulated tariff (tarifa regulada) still exists: the last-resort supplier, SU Eletricidade, must keep offering it to households until the end of 2027. The table below compares it with the cheapest market tariff today. Switching supplier is free and your supply is never interrupted.

The market regulator ERSE publishes all licensed suppliers and their tariff filings. Prices are structured around two components: energy consumed (€/kWh) and contracted power (€/day or €/month).

Your bill depends on how much electricity you use and on your contracted power. These monthly estimates include every tax and VAT, priced from today's ERSE tariff list:

Cheapest flat-rate tariff any household can sign up for, against the regulated tariff. Mainland Portugal; VAT is lower in Madeira and the Azores. See this month's cheapest tariffs.

• NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) — your Portuguese tax number. Every supplier requires this. Get it at any Finanças office or online via Portal das Finanças.
• ID document — Portuguese residency card (Título de Residência) is universally accepted. Passport acceptance varies by supplier — not all accept it without a residency card; see the table below.
• IBAN for direct debit — Portuguese IBANs (PT50…) are accepted everywhere. SEPA IBANs (non-PT EU) are accepted by some suppliers only.
• CPE code — the unique code of your electricity supply point, printed on every bill: 20 characters starting with PT. No bill? See "Moving In" below.

If you are new to Portugal and do not yet have a residency card, prioritise suppliers that explicitly accept passports — Iberdrola and Endesa are the most expat-friendly.

What you do depends on the state of the home. In every case the contract must be in your name, and on the mainland you can pick any supplier.

• Power still on — the previous occupant's contract is still running. Sign a contract in your name with any supplier, using the home's CPE code; you do not have to keep their supplier. Do it promptly: once the previous holder cancels, the supply can be cut.
• Power off — if the home had electricity before, ask any supplier for a contract and it gets the grid operator (E-REDES on the mainland) to switch the supply on. A smart meter is switched on remotely within 24 hours; if a technician must visit, you are offered a slot within 3 working days. A home never connected to the grid needs a new connection: a quote within 15 working days, then up to 30 working days of work.
• Madeira and the Azores — there is no free market. EEM in Madeira and EDA in the Azores are the only suppliers and charge ERSE's regulated tariffs, so there is no supplier to compare.

No old bill? Request the CPE code online from E-REDES (Balcão Digital) or ask any supplier. Changing your contracted power later is free: ask your supplier.

The table below summarises expat compatibility across the six largest residential suppliers in Portugal based on publicly available sign-up requirements (April 2026). Always verify directly with the supplier before signing, as policies can change. See the live market overview.

Data sourced from supplier websites and customer support, April 2026. Verify before signing.

1. Step 1 — Get your current bill. You need your CPE code and current tariff details. Both are printed on every bill.
2. Step 2 — Compare offers. Use PoupaNaEnergia to upload your bill and see a ranked list of all available tariffs for your exact consumption profile, including the expat filter to show only passport-friendly suppliers.
3. Step 3 — Enable the expat filter. On the results page, toggle "Expat-friendly only" to filter for suppliers that accept your documents and IBAN.
4. Step 4 — Start the switch. Sign up directly with your chosen supplier. They handle the rest — notifying the grid operator and your old supplier.

The switch is free, takes 3 weeks at most (usually about 5 working days) and never interrupts your electricity supply.

• Assuming the regulated tariff is cheapest — the regulated tariff (tarifa regulada) is not automatically the best price. Compare it with the market tariffs in the cost table above before you sign.
• Fidelity clauses — some promotional offers include a 12 or 24-month commitment with early-exit penalties. Always read the "período de fidelização" section before signing.
• Direct debit requirement — most competitive tariffs require direct debit (débito direto). If your bank does not support SEPA direct debit, check whether the supplier accepts credit card payment, which is less common.
• Bi-hourly vs simple tariffs — bi-hourly (bi-horário or vazio/fora de vazio) tariffs charge less overnight and on weekends. They save money only if you can shift usage (e.g. EV charging, dishwasher at night). For most expat households, a simple flat tariff is easier and equally competitive.

A Portuguese electricity bill has several line items that are not always obvious:

• Energia ativa — the actual electricity you consumed, charged per kWh at your tariff rate.
• Potência contratada — a daily or monthly standing charge for your contracted power level (kVA). This is set when you sign up and determines the maximum load your installation can draw simultaneously.
• TAR (Tarifa de Acesso às Redes) — regulated network access charges paid to the grid operator. These are the same regardless of supplier.
• IEC / DGEG / Audiovisual — the excise duty on electricity (Imposto Especial sobre o Consumo, charged per kWh), the DGEG levy and the audiovisual contribution (a fixed monthly fee). Identical across all suppliers.
• IVA — VAT. With contracted power up to 6.9 kVA, energy pays 6% on the first 200 kWh every 30 days (300 kWh for large families) and 23% on the rest; above 6.9 kVA it all pays 23%. Most other items pay 23%. Madeira and the Azores have lower rates.

When comparing tariffs, focus on the estimated annual cost rather than the per-kWh price alone — the standing charge can vary significantly and makes a flat-rate comparison misleading.