Can power failures give right to compensation?

Sand the service standards are not met, the consumer is entitled to automatic compensation, but the same does not happen if the interruption of service happens due to extreme causes. In this case, explains the DECO PROTECTION, there is no right to automatic compensation.

Automatic compensation: What is it?

According to the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE), “the customers are entitled to automatic compensation when there is non-compliance standards of individual quality indicators related to continuity of service“.

In practice, the consumer protection organization explains, “tempests and other weather, technical breakdowns, power grid maintenance operations or overload at certain points of the network may cause interruptions in the supply of electricity. But, if the power failure or its duration is higher than the quality of service standards, the electricity distribution system operators may have to compensate consumers“.

Lack of light due to bad weather: Is there compensation?

DECO PROTESTE clarifies that “situations such as a blackout, such as what happened in Portugal and Spain in April 2025, leaving both countries without electricity, or even a temporal, can be considered a fortuitous incident of great impact or an exceptional event.”.

“ This means that there is no right to compensation, since there was nothing that the electricity distributors could have done to prevent the power failure. Still, there are situations in which you may be entitled to automatic compensation”, can be read on the website of the consumer protection organization. 

You should also know that compensation, as the name itself indicates, is automatic, which means that “does not need, for example, to submit a complaint to be compensated by operators for any power failures above the maximum number defined for their area“.

When is the compensation paid?

DECO PROTEST further explains that “in the first quarter of each year, ERSE sends all network operators a report for the previous year on the basis of the payment of any compensation to consumers”.

Now, “this report is then sent to the electricity dealers, who are the consumer’s point of contact, so that these pay compensation to customers by the end of the first half of that year. This compensation should be included in the customer’s invoice or in a credit note”, it can also be read on the website of the consumer protection organization. 

Several E-Networks customers ran out of power due to bad weather

Throughout this week, several E-Networks customers ran out of power due to bad weather.

Continental Portugal was in a state of alert until 23:59 Wednesday, due to the depression Charles, which caused about 200 occurrences of Madeira, especially floods, falls of trees and collapses.

The government decided to close non-essential schools and public services in all districts, and more than three hundred flights were cancelled in Lisbon, Faro, Madeira and Porto.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), which issued several red warnings due to rain and wind, depression changed its characteristics and on its way to the continent.

During the night the Greater Lisbon and the Setúbal Peninsula were the most affected areas, especially with floods, but the Faro district is the only one that keeps red warnings for both rain and wind.