Selectra investigation. Here’s how to proceed in view of the closure of the Greater Protection Service
The energy market is showing signs of a return to normality. Compared to the peak of a year ago, the prices ofelectric energy have fallen by approximately 73% and from 430 euros/MWh in September 2022, the Single National Price (PUN) has today returned to the levels of two years ago and stands at 115 euros/MWh. A similar trend also occurs for gas. Another sign of normalization is represented by the return to Free Market fixed price offers. To make the point is Selectra (selectra.net), the free service that compares the main electricity, gas and internet suppliers.
Having practically disappeared a year ago, fixed price offers are now offered by half of the main suppliers monitored by Selectra. And if in the Greater Protection Service the price of electricity changes every quarter for electricity and monthly for gas, in the Free Market the supplier can establish his own price and allow users to choose between indexed or fixed price offers. Indexed price offers, Selectra reports, follow the trend of the wholesale markets, while fixed price offers are blocked for a specific period of time, which is usually 12 months.
The company that helps individuals and companies choose the supplier of electricity, gas, telephone and internet also underlines that interesting ‘hybrid’ offers have appeared for electricity, i.e. variable tariffs which however provide for a maximum price ceiling, so as to protect consumers in the event of excessive price increases. “In anticipation of the upcoming closure of the Greater Protection Service, to identify the best offers available on the Free Market it is essential to take into account the trend in energy prices” explains Antoine Arel, co-founder of Selectra Italia.
Arel also indicates that “in general, when prices are rising, a fixed offer is worthwhile which protects the consumer from further increases, and vice versa when wholesale prices tend to fall. At the moment, in a more stable market than looking at the past months, I would recommend choosing a variable offer, monitoring the market trend month after month, and then switching to a fixed offer in case we see an upward trend”. “Alternatively, for those who prefer to have more security immediately, the simplest option is to directly choose a fixed price offer among the most convenient on the market, which covers the user from potential increases in the colder months” adds the manager .
But how to proceed in view of the closure of the Greater Protection Service? Selectra explains that precisely to support consumers in orienting themselves in this moment of transition towards the Free Market, the company provides the mercato-libero.it portal which allows you to discover, simply by entering the name of your current supplier, whether you are potentially still in the Greater Protection Service or if you have already switched to the Free Market and to monitor the market trend. Furthermore, Selectra answers the most common doubts so as not to make mistakes when switching between Tutelato and Libero and to choose the best supply at the moment.
Here are some frequently asked questions and the answers from Selectra experts.
Is switching to the Free Market free? – Switching from a provider of the Greater Protection Service to a provider of the Free Market is free, as is the change of provider within the Free Market. Furthermore, there is no need to fear interruptions in electricity or methane gas: some technical time is required for the transition, but there is no risk of remaining without services. Furthermore, in the Free Market the user can activate both utilities, both electricity and gas, with the same supplier.
Does the meter need to be replaced? – In the transition from the Protected Market to the Free Market, no technical changes are necessary to the electrical systems or to the electricity and gas meter. The electricity and methane gas supplied will in fact remain the same: the sales company will change, not the distribution company.
How to change manager? The new electricity or gas contract can be signed in a few minutes both by telephone and online, as well as in a point of sale. Once the supply contract has been signed, the new chosen manager will take care of communicating the change to the local distributor and the old supplier.
Source-www.adnkronos.com