Bi-hourly tariff: off-peak hours will change in 2027
Find out what changes in your bill, who is affected, when it takes effect, and how you can prepare.The ERSE has approved new time periods for electricity tariffs in mainland Portugal. These changes will affect families and businesses with bi-hourly, tri-hourly, or tetra-hourly tariffs.
Electric grids today operate at a different pace than a few years ago: there is much more electricity production during the day, especially solar, and more consumption at night when families come home. The new schedules reflect this change in pace.
What changes
For those with a bi-hourly tariff, the off-peak period will start and end 30 minutes later:
| Off-peak hours | Today | In 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Daily cycle | 22h00–08h00 | 22h30–08h30 |
| Weekly cycle | 00h00–07h00 | 00h30–07h30 |
In the tri-hourly and tetra-hourly tariffs, the main change is that there will no longer be peak hours in the morning and early afternoon. Peak hours will now be concentrated at the end of the day.
The daily cycle will be the same throughout the year, with no distinction between summer and winter time.
There will be only one weekly cycle, eliminating the optional weekly cycle that only applied to medium, high, and very high voltage customers.
The simple tariff maintains the same price throughout the day. Nevertheless, the meters for these customers will also be updated so they can check consumption separated by the new time periods and assess whether it would be beneficial to change tariffs.
When it takes effect
Implementation will be phased:
- April 1, 2027 — business and industrial customers (special low voltage, medium, high, and very high voltage);
- Between July 1 and December 31, 2027 — domestic consumers and small businesses with bi-hourly or tri-hourly tariffs;
- Between November 1, 2027, and March 31, 2030 — update of meters for those with a simple tariff (no price change).
How the change occurs
The change will be made automatically and remotely by the network operator through the smart meter. In most cases, you won't need to make any requests or have a technician visit your home.
Those with a simple tariff can, during the transition period (2027-2030), request E-REDES to advance the meter update.
What to watch out for
The increase or decrease in your electricity bill is not solely dependent on the change in schedules; it is mainly in each person's consumption habits.
With the new rules, peak hours will be concentrated at the end of the day. If, when you get home, you tend to turn on the washing machine, air conditioning, and electric car charger at the same time, you are concentrating a large part of your consumption in one of the most expensive phases of the day. Therefore, it's important to understand when you consume the most electricity and which appliances weigh the most on your bill.
This analysis is even more important because, from the beginning of 2026, you can change your tariff (simple, bi-hourly, or tri-hourly) at any time without having to switch providers.
When the new schedules come into effect, don't just compare the different tariff options. Also compare the offers among the various providers with your consumption data. A simple tariff from one provider may be more economical for your profile than the bi-hourly tariff you currently have, or vice versa.
At CrediSegur, we make this comparison for you
We analyze your bill and compare the conditions of different providers to find the solution that best suits your consumption.
See you soon,
Carolina Francisco
