Return to the regulated market ‘is not an effective measure’

There has been a lot of talk lately about the return of many Portuguese to the regulated gas market. As we’ve shown here, the process is relatively simple, but the number of people requesting the change made it more difficult.

Galp’s executive chairman today criticized the government’s move to return to a regulated gas market.

The transition to a regulated market has generated huge queues

Due to the significant rise in gas prices, many Portuguese want to return to the regulated market. From the beginning of September, this change could be made in physical stores of goods sold, as well as through the Internet.

Galp's executive chairman said today that a return to a regulated gas market that extends to families and small businesses, saying "this is not an effective measure for those who need it."

The official said the company is discussing with the government a measure that would force it to channel more natural gas to be sold on a regulated market, meaning at a lower price, noting that "this reverses years of progress towards liberalization and a free market." .

Prior to Andy Brown, the conference was also attended by the Minister for Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, where he addressed, among other things, the difficulties reported in the transition to a regulated electricity market (natural gas, change only possible from 1 October).

The official apologized to the Portuguese, who are looking for lower rates than those practiced on the free market and who are experiencing difficulties in moving to the regulated market, such as long queues for service at traders' physical stores.

Duarte Cordeiro said "many families are changing," though he doesn't yet have an exact number of clients who have already changed regimes.

“We regret this small inconvenience and are trying to prevent abuse or exploitation of this inconvenience,” the Minister of the Environment stressed.