When we first moved to Portugal, we were stoked at the price of things in Lisbon. The cost of living in Lisbon is a mere fraction of what we paid in NYC. Everything here costs about 1/5th of what we used to pay. When we first got our EDP bill for electricity, we were pretty happy. It cost us about €80 per month for our 2-bedroom 100 square meter apartment. Imagine our surprise when we got a bill for almost €500 in January (the above image does not include the taxes which came to around 90 Euros). After I recovered from a minor heart attack, I decided to go to the EDP office which is conveniently located near Marques de Pombal Square. Here’s everything I found out!
How to Understand your Portuguese Electric EDP Bill
Estimated vs. Actual Reading
The first thing we learned is that our bill was based on an estimate of use. Where they got this estimate, I don’t know. We had been in the apartment since May and we never had a bill this high. How can you tell? Click on “Leituras” (that’s readings). Below the red count, you will have one of two phrases:
- Leitura Estimada
- Leitura Real
If your bill says Leitura Estimada you have a chance. The EDP has estimated your bill. If it says Leitura Real, you’re going to need to head to one of Lisbon’s wine bars for a glass of wine (or two).
What Happens If You Overpaid
The young lady at the EDP office (who was awesome) told us we had two options:
- We could have the overage credited to our account.
- It could be reimbursed to our bank
She also explained that having it reimbursed meant filling out tons of paperwork and waiting a while, so we just opted to have the credits towards our account. This will take a week or two.
You Pay More if You Use Electricity During Peak Hours
There are three periods that all have different rates attached to them:
- Vazio – cheap
- Fora de Vazio – more expensive
- Cheio – don’t know…if you do, Faites-moi savoir dans les commentaires.
You Can Enter In Your Own Reading for the EDP Bill
The reason the readings are estimated (according to the EDP office) is that there aren’t enough people to go read the meters. If you use the EDP app, you can update the meter reading yourself this way the meter readings (and in turn your bill) will be accurate. This is great so you don’t have to wait for them to come and do an actual reading.
There Are Different Types of EDP Electric Accounts
This all has to deal with how you pay:
- Simples: Only one pricing type
- Bi-horario: Made up of two pricing types – vazio (0.1652) & fora de vazio (0.20) this is what I have)
- Tri-horario: Made up of three pricing types – ponta, cheias & vazio – this one is only available for businesses.
How to Save on Your Portuguese Electric Bill
- The EDP has bundle packages, so if you have both your electric and your gas, you get a discount on both!
- Use the appliances that consume the most electricity during off-peak hours (dryer, water heater, oven or stove, hair dryer).
- When you rent or purchase your home, check the energy rating. “A” is the best, so try to get as close to that as possible.
- OR…buy yourself a Galp Hotspot heater. The actual heater costs around €125 and the gas containers cost €30. You will have to buy the containers from independent dealers. They are listed on the Galp website.
Where is the EDP office?
It’s about a block away from Marques de Pombal. There are a few buildings that say EDP on them. You want the EDP Loja. It’s located at R. Camilo Castelo Branco 32 (on the corner w/ Avenida Duque de Loule). Quand vous y arrivez, make sure to pull a ticket to get help.
Have other questions about understanding your EDP Portuguese Electric bill? Leave it in the comments and we’ll get back to you!
salut, I found this article very helpful, and am fearful of trying to call EDP due to automated telephone machines and having no Portuguese language. Cependant, I want to find out how much electricity is being used each month (actual) – because I believe that our property managers are using our appliances to do laundry/drying etc.
Is this actually possible to find out do you think?
Yes, EDP will send people out to do a survey of your costs. They don’t do it by machine but if you ask the guy he will tell you the culprit.
Hey Densie….
I am based in Portugal.. EDP is quite good if you call the main number and ask to speak with someone in English, they will transfer you.. It is quite easier…
Another way would be to find your meter at home. Write down the KWh number at the start of the month and then do this again each month. It is basic but you can work out the total KWh consumption through some subtraction and Antonio is right EDP can not tell you anything more….
Ouaip. I do this monthly and around the end of the month enter the actual reading into the EDP website so that we are charged on our actual reading instead of their estimated reading.
I just got my bill for 15 Dec to 15 Jan and about had a coronary! My bill doesn’t quite look like yours–and honestly, I’m not sure what service level (?) I have. I had help setting it up–looks like I’ll need help understanding it! Yikes.
My advice would be to go to the office near Marques de Pombal and ask for someone who speaks English. They can help you over the phone too, but I find that here in Portugal, actually seeing someone gets you better help (I’m still getting used to this).
That being said, there are different options. I work from home most of the time (unless I decide to hit up a coworking space), so the plans that offer cheaper daytime pricing would not work for me.
I seriously recommend the Galp hotspot – it’s saved us so much money and keeps us nice and toasty. The place we order the canisters from delivers almost always same day.
Keep me posted and let me know how it goes.