Why Lisbon Leads in Electricity Provider Changes: A Surprising Disparity with Other Cities

Lisbon vs. Porto: The Electricity Provider Shift

According to data from ComparaJá.pt for January 2025, Lisbon accounts for 27.26% of new electricity subscriptions, while Porto follows at 19.15%. The gap between these two cities is significant, especially when compared to other districts: Setúbal ranks third with 10.30%, and Aveiro fourth with only 6.62%. This suggests a possible lack of awareness among consumers about the free option to switch to cheaper contracts in the liberalized market.

Factors Behind the Urban Concentration

The concentration of energy provider changes in larger cities can be attributed to several factors. In big cities, a higher number of consumers creates a more intense flow of information regarding tariffs and energy savings. Additionally, there's stronger competition among suppliers, which encourages the search for better deals. Conversely, in smaller cities, lower numbers may correlate with less digitalization among consumers or a simple lack of knowledge that switching providers is free and can lead to savings of over €800 per year, according to José Trovão, Director of Energy at ComparaJá.

The Importance of Comparison

The January Energy Market Report emphasizes the need to compare energy tariffs to find the best options. For various consumption profiles, such as couples without children or large families, price differences between providers can exceed €70 per month, resulting in significant annual savings.

At the beginning of 2025, 78.20% of consumers opted for electricity-only contracts, while 19.61% chose dual contracts (electricity and gas). Interestingly, 93% of contracts signed were for simple tariffs, indicating that most consumers prefer to avoid bi-hourly and tri-hourly options.

How to Change the Trend

To encourage more consumers outside Lisbon and Porto to take advantage of potential savings from switching energy tariffs, it is crucial to promote information dissemination and simplify the subscription processes. Platforms like ComparaJá.pt allow consumers to quickly find the best option tailored to their consumption profile without incurring extra costs.