New Rules on Electricity Sector Regulatory Charges | Directive No. 5/2026 and Regulation No. 3/2026 of 14 October

The Energy Services Regulatory Authority (“ERSE”) has approved, following a public consultation, new rules governing System Regulation Charges (“ERS”).

ERS correspond to the costs associated with the overall technical management of the National Electricity System (“SEN”), which is intended to ensure that the system operates safely and reliably. This function is performed by REN – Rede Eléctrica Nacional, S.A., in its capacity as the overall manager of the SEN.

In recent years, these charges have increased significantly and have been subject to considerable volatility. The newly approved amendments seek to promote greater stability and predictability in these costs.

The amendments take the form of (i) amendments to the Procedures Manual for the Overall Management of the Electricity System (“MPGGS”), approved by Directive No. 5/2026, and (ii) amendments to the Electricity Sector Tariff Regulation, approved by Regulation No. 3/2026, both dated 14 October.

The main amendments approved include the following:

• Partial recovery of charges through network access tariffs – following the amendment to the Tariff Regulation, ERS will be partially recovered through network access tariffs, by introducing a specific component into the Global System Use tariff (UGS). This change will be implemented in phases, starting in the last quarter of 2026.
   
• New rules on system management – The amendments to the MPGGS revise the rules governing the procurement of the manual Frequency Restoration Reserve (mFRR) service, as well as the settlement procedures applied by the Overall Manager of the SEN.
   

Directive No. 5/2026 and Regulation No. 3/2026, both dated 14 October, will only enter into force following their publication in the Diário da República (the Portuguese Official Gazette).

For further information, please consult the page dedicated to the public consultation on ERSE’s official website, available here.