A ANEEL The National Electric Energy Agency (Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica) initiated the debate on modernizing the tariff structure applicable to low-voltage consumers.
The agency's technical area proposed, in a technical note, the expansion of the Hourly Tariff (White Tariff), transforming it into the standard option for units with higher consumption.
This measure aims to align the way energy is charged with the new reality of the Brazilian electricity system, marked by the growing production of clean sources, such as solar and wind energy. By giving a price signal to the consumer, the idea is to encourage the use of energy during off-peak hours.
Voluntary membership in White Tariff It has historically been low, with only 69 units in a universe of 75 million potential customers. The detailed proposal foresees that the automatic migration to the model will begin in 2026.
In the first year, the option would be mandatory for consumers who consume more than 1.000 kWh/month (or 1 MWh/month). This group includes approximately 2,5 million units, including businesses, industries, and larger residences, which together account for 25% of low-voltage consumption.
By 2027, the second year of the proposal, the automatic White Tariff would be extended to the group that consumes more than 600 kWh/month, adding another 2 million consumer units.
Encouraging consumption during peak hours
The agency's main motivation is linked to the context of renewable energy generation. Brazil is experiencing a new energy reality where, during the day, especially between 10 am and 14 pm, there is a vast supply of solar and wind energy, which has a lower generation cost.
However, in the early evening – between 18 pm and 21 pm – when solar generation ceases, demand peaks, requiring the use of more expensive energy sources.
The system has required urgent action to address the oversupply of energy in the afternoon. By shifting high-consumption activities—such as the use of industrial machinery, charging electric vehicles, or pool pumps—to off-peak hours, consumers can pay less.
For the electrical system, the benefit is avoiding the waste of clean energy during the day. This action contributes to mitigating the... generation cut (curtailment), in addition to reducing the need to activate more expensive plants during peak hours and postponing investments in strengthening the networks.
For this change to be implemented, it will be necessary to replace the energy meters with more modern models capable of recording consumption hour by hour.
The costs of this modernization will be factored into the prudent investments made by the distributors, recognized in the tariff review. The proposal will now undergo a Public Consultation, with implementation expected to begin in 2026.
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