Electricity: one-time bill discounts with the Tutela Simile standard offer for households

Milan, March 03, 2017

Italian version

The Tutela Simile standard offer was launched in January for the supply of electricity to households and small businesses with standard offer regime; a new annual and voluntary contract with the same standard offer price but with a one-time bonus discount established by each supplier, of up to 100 euro for households and of around 200 euro for non-domestic customers. With the introduction of Tutela Simile, i.e. an offer 'similar' to those on the free market, the Authority intends to provide smaller customers, currently under the standard offer regime, the opportunity to 'experiment' a type of offer that is closer to those of the free market, with conditions of transparency and simplicity and with supply supervised by the Authority itself. The Tutela Simile instrument is therefore a typical pull supply model, meaning that it can be fully activated upon the initiative of the customer.

In order to increase continuously the use of this innovative tool and to introduce push elements that encourage consumer initiative, the Authority, as well as continuing to provide information, has also established the introduction of information on Tutela Simile in the Standard Offer electricity bills, including with regard to its features, subscription channels how to find out more. The Authority has also made it clear that the operators authorised to offer Tutela Simile can also work to promote it, provided they comply with the code of commercial conduct, regulations on misleading and comparative advertising and never cause confusion between its own free market offers and Tutela Simile. Suppliers may, therefore, promote information campaigns, following the general criteria established by the Authority.  

One-click choice Subscription to Tutela Simile can be made via the website www.portaletutelasimile.it choosing one of the offers from the admitted suppliers. Offers for the supply of electricity only, without additional services, have the same contract structure, but differ in price, which is that of the Standard Offer minus the aforementioned discount, which is applied only once in the first bill. With one click, the customer is put into direct contact with the chosen supplier, with no intermediary or distance selling costs. The contract runs for one year and is non-renewable, after which the customer can choose a new offer from the free market from the same or a different supplier, or return to the Standard Offer if available. Failure to enter into a new contact will mean that the customer will remain with the supplier chosen for Tutela Simile and will be subject to the application of free market contractual and economic conditions based on a standard structure defined by the Authority. Consumers also have the possibility of accessing Tutela Simile through 'facilitators', who have the task of informing and facilitating access via the web portal, a role fulfilled by consumer associations or accredited SME trade associations. To date, 94% of contracts (over 1,500) have been signed by domestic customers and 6% by small and medium-sized enterprises. In the first two months of operation, the overwhelming majority of customers directly accessed the portal without intermediaries and reconsideration.