The Algarve has 24138 beneficiaries of the social electricity tariff, according to data released today by the office of Secretary of State for Energy Jorge Seguro Sanches.
Loulé is the municipality that has the most beneficiaries of this measure in the region (3390) and Alcoutim, with only 194, has the least.
Since July 1, access to social tariffs for electricity and natural gas has been automated and the benefit “gains visibility for most beneficiaries, from August onwards, with the arrival of the first bills”, explains the Secretary of State.
The discounts provided for beneficiaries of the social tariff reach approximately 33,8% in the case of electricity and 31,2% in the case of natural gas.
According to the Secretary of State's office, "this benefit, enshrined in legislation since 2010, is an instrument of social justice that aims to protect the interests of economically vulnerable customers."
The measure covers "individual customers who are part of a household, whose total annual income is equal to or less than 5.808 euros, plus 50% for each additional element, up to a maximum of 10 people or beneficiaries of social benefits", adds the same source.
The secretary of state also says that “until the entry into force of the current State Budget, the initial model of the social tariff required potential candidates to go to electricity suppliers to obtain this benefit. A solution that proved to be ineffective, with the Government opting to ensure its automaticity, through the crossing of information between suppliers, the General Directorate of Energy and Geology, Social Security and the Tax Authority».
However, the office of Jorge Seguro Sanches says that, within the scope of the process, "some non-conformities may arise in the recently implemented systems and lead to the need for adjustment and correction" and emphasizes that "consumers who are notified by electricity suppliers, who lost the conditions of access to the social tariff, the General Directorate of Energy and Geology ensures the restoration of this benefit, if this change has occurred due to a computer error on the part of the energy supplier».
According to the secretary of state "at national level, the total number of beneficiaries covered by the social tariff is 630698. At the end of 2015, when the Government took office, this number was only around 108.300".
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