With the winds of war in Iran continuing to shake energy markets, finding the right tariff for electricity and gas has become more urgent than ever. After the price boom recorded in recent months, with the price of natural gas skyrocketing by up to 40% on the TTF market in Amsterdam, many suppliers have relaunched fixed price offers to offer greater stability to family budgets. Altroconsumo has thus carried out an analysis on which are the best offers for electricity and gas.
The increase in bills
Analysts have estimated a burden of up to 166 euros per year for Italian families due to the conflict, with 121 euros more for gas and 45 euros for the electricity component. The most recent projections estimate overall increases of up to 950 euros per family in the coming months, considering bills, fuel and other related costs. Only in the last week has there been a slight drop in prices, but the situation remains unstable and carefully monitored by operators in the sector.
In this scenario, blocking the price of energy with a fixed price offer represents an effective defensive strategy, especially for those with high consumption.
The best offers
Among suppliers with fixed price offers and with a quality of service rated at least good, three offers stand out for their convenience, combining the supply of electricity and gas in a single contract:
- E.On Luce Insieme Web + Gas Insieme Web: fixed price for 12 months, electricity produced from renewable sources and additional discount on the energy component; supplier quality Good, 72/100;
- Engie Energia Punto Fisso Mono 12 months: price blocked for 12 months for both electricity and gas, single rate, 100% renewable; Excellent quality, 76/100;
- Dolomiti Energia Fisso 36 Web: freeze the price for 36 months, the longest period of the three offers and 100% renewable energy; Excellent quality, 76/100.
The tariffs are calculated on a typical profile: 3 kW electricity supply with consumption of 2,700 kWh per year and gas supply for an apartment with independent heating of 1,400 cubic meters per year, values close to the Italian average.
Fixed or variable, how to choose
The choice between fixed and variable tariff depends above all on the level of consumption. The fixed price offers greater protection to those with high consumption, in particular for gas with independent heating, because it protects against market fluctuations for 12, 24 or even 36 months.
The variable remains a valid option for those with low consumption (under 1,500 kWh per year for electricity and 1,000 cubic meters for gas) or for those willing to monitor the trend of the PUN and PSV indices to seize the best moment for switching to fixed.
Activation times and methods
The change of supplier, regulated by the Arera Authority, occurs without interruptions to the service or technical interventions on the systems, but generally requires between one and two months of waiting. To avoid delays it is important to correctly provide at the time of signing:
- POD code (for electricity) and PDR code (for gas);
- Personal data and supply address;
- IBAN for any automatic bill debit.
A detail not to be underestimated: if the switching request is sent after the 10th of the month, the times extend up to two months.
How to compare offers
Before choosing, it is best to check your real consumption using the latest bills or the history available in the customer area. The elements to analyze include the price of kWh and cubic meter of gas, any fixed monthly costs, renewal conditions and the quality of customer service.
An independent comparator allows you to evaluate all these variables together. In this way we avoid considering only the immediate savings and also take into account the reliability of the supplier in the long term.
