More than 2.4 million low-income families need to update their registration with electricity distributors to maintain the benefits of the Social Tariff Program, which grants discounts and even exemption from paying electricity bills.
The number is part of a survey by the Brazilian Association of Electricity Distributors (Abradee) with the four largest groups of distributors in the country.
Families that do not update their registrations by December 31st will lose their right to the benefit. Currently, 16 million homes are reached by the program.
The Social Electricity Tariff grants low-income families a discount of up to 100% on their electricity bill. The total exemption is offered to those who consume up to 80 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month.
In these cases, the bill does not arrive at zero, as it may contain charges not associated with the energy consumed, such as Tax on the Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS, state tax) and the contribution for public (municipal) lighting.
Social Tariff discounts are funded by the Energy Development Account (CDE), a charge paid mainly by other consumers. The distributor grants the rebate and is reimbursed to the exact extent of the benefit granted.
Criteria
Families registered in the Single Registry for Social Programs of the Federal Government (CadÚnico), with a monthly income of up to half the minimum wage per person, can qualify for the subsidized rate. Currently, the minimum wage is set at R$1,621.
According to the rules of the social program, the holder of the electricity account must be a member of the family registered with CadÚnico; and the municipality of residence must be the same as that reported in the social register.
The rules are determined by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), a body linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
If there is an inconsistency between the social register and the electricity bill holder, the family loses the benefit.
Some of the distributors carry out active searches, that is, they look for customers under these conditions.
To resolve inconsistencies, it is necessary to change ownership at the distributor or update registration at a Social Assistance Reference Center (Cras), a municipal public unit responsible for serving families in vulnerable situations.
Equatorial
The Equatorial Group, which operates in distribution in seven states, has 1 million beneficiaries who may be excluded from the Social Tariff due to discrepancies in the registration. This contingent is equivalent to a quarter of the 4 million customers who receive the subsidy.
In Equatorial's area of operation, Pará leads the number of pending cases, with 286 thousand families. Next come Maranhão (279.3 thousand), Goiás (188.1 thousand), Alagoas (167 thousand), Piauí (117 thousand), Amapá (33.9 thousand) and Rio Grande do Sul (23.8 thousand).
Among the forms of active search, the company contacts residents via WhatsApp, email and, ultimately, visits from commercial agents.
Neoenergia
Neoenergia, which serves 17 million customers in five states and the Federal District, has almost 533 thousand customers who have not yet updated CadÚnico according to the new rule.
Bahia is the distributing state with the highest number of beneficiaries at risk of losing the benefit, 304.9 thousand, followed by Pernambuco (165.6 thousand), Rio Grande do Norte (31.6 thousand) and the Federal District (16.5 thousand). There are still 14.2 thousand outstanding issues in the municipalities of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.
Enel
At Enel, a distributor that serves more than 16 million customers in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Ceará, more than 502 thousand families did not regularize their ownership.
In São Paulo, there are more than 180.6 thousand customers with pending issues. In Rio de Janeiro, more than 175 thousand, and in Ceará, more than 147 thousand.
One of the ways to change ownership is through WhatsApp (21) 99601-9608.
Energisa
Grupo Energisa, which manages nine distributors in 11 states, has 17% of its customers with pending registration. There are 393 thousand families.
The majority of them, 172 thousand, are in Paraíba.
Another 3.2 million could have a discount
At least 3.2 million low-income families that do not benefit from the Social Tariff could start receiving discounts on their electricity bills.
According to the Equatorial Group, almost 2.2 million homes are in this eligibility condition, but are not yet in CadÚnico.
Most of them are in Pará (707 thousand families). Next come Maranhão (489 thousand), Goiás (317 thousand), Piauí (221 thousand), Alagoas (221 thousand), Rio Grande do Sul (151 thousand) and Amapá (81 thousand).
Energisa estimates that around 1 million customers in the distributor's concession area could be served by the Social Tariff. Of these, 891 thousand with consumption of up to 80 kWh per month, that is, they would have total exemption from their electricity bill.
According to Law 14,203/2021, the benefit is granted by distributors automatically to families that meet the requirements, such as registration with CadÚnico.
Other groups
The Social Tariff is also valid for families registered in the Single Registry with a monthly income of up to three minimum wages, as long as they have a person with a disability, whose treatment requires the continued use of devices that require electricity consumption.
The subsidy is also extended to people over 65 years of age and people with disabilities, who receive the Continuous Payment Benefit (BPC).
In these cases, the criterion of having the CPF linked to CadÚnico and in the same municipality of registration also applies.
