A power outage on Monday left many Portuguese citizens without electricity. What happens to scheduled appointments now? Are individuals entitled to compensation for losing telecommunications services? Can individuals claim damages for malfunctioning appliances?
DECO PROTeste has released a set of questions and answers to address these concerns. Here are the details:
Am I entitled to compensation for the hours without electricity?
“Initially, no. The blackout that left Portugal and Spain without electricity for nearly the entire day on April 28 can be considered a fortuitous incident of significant impact or an exceptional event, meaning there was nothing the electricity distributors could have done to prevent the outage. Consequently, consumers are not entitled to compensation. However, it is now up to the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) to determine what occurred and if consumers should be compensated. If deemed necessary, compensation will be automatic and will be credited to customers at the beginning of the next year through their provider’s bill.”
If compensation is due, it will be automatic, as explained by DECO PROTeste. The ERSE will “now have to assess and provide information on what exactly happened and determine, if justified, whether consumers should be compensated.”
Can I claim compensation for damage to electrical equipment?
“Yes, you can always file a complaint with your energy supplier or network operator for potential damages caused by the blackout. In such cases, you must provide proof of these damages. However, the ERSE has stated in a press release that ‘as a rule, supply interruptions do not cause damage to equipment’ and that ‘service restoration follows rules intended to prevent damage to equipment’.
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I lost mobile data. Can I claim compensation from the telecom operator?
“According to the Electronic Communications Law, if contracted services are unavailable for a period exceeding 24 hours, consecutively or accumulated by billing period, and the reason is not the user’s responsibility, you are entitled to a credit equivalent to the price you would pay for the service during that period. If your service has been restored and was unavailable for less than 24 hours, initially, there is no right to compensation. If the service is still unavailable, you may be entitled to compensation. In such cases, report the issue to the operator and request credit for the amount due.”
I had a court hearing scheduled, and it was postponed. What happens now?
“If you had a court hearing that did not take place due to the power outage, you will likely be contacted to reschedule it for a new date.”
Will consultations be rescheduled?
“Consultations in the National Health Service (SNS), as well as surgeries scheduled for this Monday but not conducted due to the blackout, will be rescheduled, just as in other cancellation scenarios.”
Can pharmacies operate without electricity?
“Not all pharmacies have generators that allow them to continue operating during electricity outages. Without electricity, it is impossible to dispense and subsidize medications. However, during yesterday’s blackout, many pharmacies continued to provide urgent and essential medications to their users.”
My flight was canceled due to the blackout. Can I claim travel insurance?
“As a rule, no. Travel cancellation coverage, typically optional, can only be activated in specific situations, such as health reasons (sudden illness, a serious accident, or death before the trip), health problems in the family, or other valid reasons, such as being required to testify in court, suffering significant damage at home (e.g., fire), or having to be in mandatory isolation due to an infectious disease.”
I can’t access the Finance Portal but had a payment to make. Will I be penalized?
“The Finance Portal’s IT systems were affected by the power failure. Therefore, this portal is unavailable, and some taxpayers cannot meet the tax obligations that were due on Monday or today. The Ministry of Finance has assured that the deadline for these tax obligations will be extended until the end of this Wednesday (April 30). Taxpayers in this situation will not incur any late fees or penalties.”
I had a bill due by yesterday, but I couldn’t pay it. Will I be charged interest?
“Even if you were late in paying services like electricity, there is always an additional term beyond the deadline. Moreover, in extraordinary circumstances like the one experienced on Monday, if the impossibility of payment is proven, there may be grounds for postponement.”
Can I activate multi-risk home insurance for damage to electrical equipment?
“If an appliance or electronic device was damaged due to the blackout, it’s advisable to check your multi-risk home insurance policy to confirm if any of the contracted coverages apply in this case. However, be aware that almost all these devices are only protected if you have contracted coverage for home contents.”
