Families cannot afford to heat their homes in winter or cool them in summer, DECO warns
Portugal’s consumer watchdog DECO is demanding urgent action to lower electricity prices, including VAT, to stop families from being priced out of basic energy needs.
Marking World Energy Day this Thursday, DECO blasted the high cost of electricity, calling for a VAT cut and stronger protections for consumers navigating new energy models like solar communities. The watchdog says energy poverty is leaving thousands of households too cold in winter and too hot in summer, with many living in conditions that are not just “uncomfortable,” but “unhealthy.”
“The energy sector continues to be a problem for Portuguese families,” the consumer watchdog warned, pointing to a flood of complaints. In 2024 alone, a total of 6,258 complaints were filed, and more than 2,000 have already been logged this year.
The group also sounded the alarm over April’s massive nationwide power outage, which led to over 100 complaints about fried appliances, lost telecoms, and flight disruptions, and is said to have cost Portuguese companies around €2 billion.
DECO also pointed to the difficulties that people feel when trying to decipher their electricity bills, stating that most households struggle to understand their monthly charges. According to the watchdog, the language is too “complicated” and there is a standard “lack of information”, while the support measures are hard to navigate.
With no clear relief in sight, Deco is calling for immediate investment in consumer energy literacy.
