In a statement, ERSE highlighted that it approved, "after a public consultation process that took place between March 28 and May 31, 2023, the new regulations for the electricity sector adapted to the sector's new paradigm based on a model that intends to be increasingly decentralised, allowing local production, self-consumption solutions, the active management of smart grids and ensuring the active participation of consumers in the electricity markets".

In a document explaining what the regulations consist of and what their impact on the market is, ERSE indicated that, among the changes brought about by these regulations, there is an increase in the importance of actual consumption compared to estimated consumption, taking into account the dissemination of smart meters.

"The regulatory framework of the electricity sector now considers intelligent low-voltage distribution networks as the new reference", highlighted ERSE.

"The charging of estimated consumption to consumers will be less and less as smart meters and their integration into smart networks become operational", they said, recalling that the objective is that, by the end of 2024, all customers in Mainland Portugal will have smart meters.

According to ERSE, "in the event of a measurement or reading anomaly, the availability of consumption data for billing becomes a primary responsibility of the distribution network operators", noting that "suppliers will not be able, on their own initiative, to produce billing estimates for its customers".

Among the other changes is the possibility for electricity or gas consumers to "be supplied for four months by last resort suppliers (CUR) whenever their market supplier has been prevented from carrying out the activity or whenever there is no offer that applies to them", greater "regulatory densification" of loyalty and "consumer participation in flexibility markets".