Bills, protected market: how to find the supplier to make the return by 30 June

By 30 June, non-vulnerable customers who have already switched to the free electricity market can re-enter the greater protection service. In this way, as of 1 July, they will transit to the graduated protection service, the temporary mechanism that will expire in 2027 and was designed to accompany the progressive liberalisation of the electricity market. But how can this option be exercised? And is it possible to activate it until the last day? On the subject, it must be said, the Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment has intervened several times, which, on the one hand, has clarified the terms for exercising the return to the protected market, and, on the other, has drawn the attention of the operators who guarantee this regime so that the transition is made as smooth as possible.

But how does one make the switch? First of all, it is a good idea to check within one's bill what type of market the user is in because, it is worth repeating, the switch is possible from the free market and concerns non-vulnerable customers. For vulnerable customers, in fact, i.e. those over 75, social bonus recipients for economic disadvantage and serious health conditions, users of non-interconnected minor islands or emergency housing facilities, but also beneficiaries of Law 104 for disabilities, nothing changes: if you are in the free market and you are a vulnerable customer, in fact, you can switch at any time, even after the 1 July deadline.

For the non-vulnerable, on the other hand, the request must be made to the operator of the greater protection service in the municipality where the supply is located. For those who do not know the name of the operator of the greater protection service, the Authority has set up a special engine, which can also be reached from the home page of the Authority's website (www.arera.it).

How does the search work? You have to enter the relevant municipality in the search engine. Let's try with a few examples to understand what steps to take. If the user is in the Municipality of Rome, he or she should consult Acea's Rome electricity service site. On Arera's site, there is already a link indicating all the information that must be submitted in order to make the switch: from personal details (name, surname, date of birth, place of birth, tax code, details of identification document) to the cadastral data of the property (type of cadastral unit; sheet, particle and sub-terminus). In the case of social housing properties (Ater) it is also necessary to provide the date and protocol number indicated in the executive decision. Naturally, in order to make the return, it is essential to also produce the identification code of the electricity supply point (Pod) found on the first page of the bill.

If, on the other hand, you reside in a Lazio municipality other than Rome, for example Frascati, the reference operator is the National Electricity Service, Enel's arm in the greater protection sector. On the website of the National Electricity Service, which can be accessed directly from the Arera website, the information can be found: returns from the free market with effect from 1 July 2024, if requested for supplies to non-vulnerable customers, will be automatically activated in the graduated protection service managed by the territorially competent operator identified by the Single Buyer through competitive procedures, clarifies the ad hoc section of the National Electricity Service.