← FFCheckElectricity & gasPT
Electricity & gas · Portugal
Checked 2026-09-30

⏱️ Fixed price or dynamic (hourly) electricity contract in Portugal: which is right for me?

The short answer

A fixed price stays the same for an agreed period. A dynamic price follows the wholesale market hour by hour, so it can be cheaper when you shift your use, and more expensive at peak times.

📜 The rules in Portugal

Fixed and dynamic contracts

Suppliers must offer dynamic-price electricity contracts (Decreto-Lei 15/2022, art. 136); ERSE's rules apply this to suppliers with more than 200,000 customers. Since Decreto-Lei 130/2026, suppliers with more than 200,000 customers must also offer fixed-term, fixed-price contracts lasting at least one year.

  • ERSE's 2023 rules on commercial offers set the thresholds: suppliers with more than 50,000 customers must offer fixed-price and indexed offers, and those with more than 200,000 customers dynamic-price offers. (erse.pt)
  • A dynamic offer is a special kind of indexed offer: the price can change every hour. Ordinary indexed offers usually change price once a month. (erse.pt)
  • According to ERSE, a loyalty period (fidelização) in a household contract cannot be combined with indexed or dynamic prices (RRC art. 19). (erse.pt)
  • Decreto-Lei 130/2026 of 29 June amends Decreto-Lei 15/2022 and transposes Directive (EU) 2024/1711; it applies from 28 August 2026. (dgeg.gov.pt)
Official source: portugal.gov.pt · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Look at how you use energyA dynamic price suits people who can move use to cheap hours, for example with an electric car, a heat pump or a timer. It needs a smart meter.
  2. Check what is on offerSee below what the rules in Portugal say about fixed-price and dynamic contracts and who has to offer them.
  3. Read the risks and the termsBefore you sign, the supplier must explain the costs and risks of a dynamic contract. Check the notice period and any exit fee.
  4. Review after a few monthsCompare your bills with what a fixed price would have cost. You can switch again under your contract terms.

📇 Who to contact

Simulador de Preços de Energia (ERSE) officialCompare electricity and gas offersBefore you switch, or when your price goes up🔗 simuladorprecos.erse.pt
ERSE - Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços EnergéticosSupervises energy companies and explains your rightsFor information, and to report a company that breaks the rules📞 213 033 200🔗 www.erse.pt/consumidores-de-energia

❓ Questions

Is a dynamic contract cheaper?

Only if you use a lot of power when prices are low. At peak times it can cost much more than a fixed price.

Do I need a smart meter?

Yes. Hourly prices need a meter that records your use per hour or per quarter hour.

Can a fixed price still go up?

Normally not during the fixed period, but taxes and network charges can change. The rules for Portugal are on this page.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Also useful

📈Price increase→🔄Switching supplier→📟Smart meter→🧾Wrong or high bill→💸Can’t pay the bill→

More help in Portugal

All other problems: who handles whatWho do I contact?100+ things that go wrong — money, housing, work, safety, health, papers, government — and the one desk in Portugal that actually handles each: phone, site, and what to say when they pick up.Before it goes wrongCan I?What is allowed, what is not, which permit you need — with the official source.Recognise it firstIs dit veilig?Check a phone number, website or message against 47,000 scam dossiers.