With the liberalization of the market and the emergence of competition in trading activity, new entrants have entered the domestic market. This development now culminates with the end of regulation of the retail prices.

This means that natural gas sales tariffs will no longer be fixed by ERSE, approving only the grid access charges, and that prices are now defined according to market conditions and consumers should choose a supplier on the market.

2013/2015 - Transitional period for customer contracts with lower consumption or equal to 500 m3. To know when you have to change, you should know what your annual consumption, information you can find on your natural gas bill with your personal data. The transitional period was set for the gradual transition from natural gas consumers to the market.

Consumption of more than 500 m3 and less than or equal to 10,000 m3:

- Its regulated tariff ends on 30 June 2012;

- You can already start looking for a new supplier, and the transition period until the end of 2014;

- If you choose not to choose a new supplier of natural gas by the end of 2014 will continue during this transitional period, to be fueled by your current supplier with a transitional tariff fixed quarterly by ERSE.

Lower consumption than or equal to 500 m3:

- Its regulated tariff ends on 31 December 2012;

- You can already start looking for a new supplier, and the transition period until the end of 2015;

- If you choose not to choose a new supplier of natural gas by the end of 2015 will continue during this transitional period, to be fueled by your current supplier with a transitional tariff fixed quarterly by ERSE.

The change of supplier is free, does not entail a change in counter or interruption of supply and should be completed within a maximum of three weeks.

(Source: Portal ERSE)