The free energy market offers endless possibilities, but navigating the dozens of commercial offers can be a real maze if you don't know the key factors to consider.
Transparency in offers isn't just a matter of price: it's about clear information, complete documents, and the ability to understand exactly what you're signing up for.
Starting July 1, 2025, thanks to the new ARERA rules, recognizing a transparent offer will become easier, but precise criteria already exist to distinguish serious proposals from unclear ones.
What makes an electricity and gas offer transparent?
A transparent energy offer can be immediately recognized by its clarity of exposition : the costs are expressed unequivocally, with the price of the energy component indicated in €/kWh for electricity and €/Smc for gas , accompanied by the fixed monthly or annual fee without hidden asterisks or references to microscopic notes.
An example of transparency is when the supplier presents an estimate of annual spending based on standard consumption profiles, allowing you to immediately understand how much you could spend in a year, and when it clearly separates sales fees (which depend on the supplier) from regulated costs such as network tariffs and system charges.
Truly transparent electricity and gas offers use simple and direct language , avoid incomprehensible technicalities, and present all the contractual conditions in a single, easily accessible section, including crucial information such as the duration of the contract, withdrawal procedures, and any activation costs.
A final distinguishing feature is the availability of digital tools that allow you to monitor consumption in real time and access all contractual information through apps or reserved online areas, making the relationship with the supplier completely transparent and verifiable at any time.
The essential elements to check before choosing
Before signing any energy contract, it is essential to check the type of tariff offered : whether it is a fixed price, which guarantees stability for 12-24 months while protecting against market increases, or an indexed price that follows the trend of the PUN (Single National Price) for electricity and the PSV (Virtual Trading Point) for gas.
The cost structure must be analyzed in detail, distinguishing between the cost of the energy raw material (the only component on which suppliers can make a difference), transportation and meter management costs, system charges, and taxes, which are the same for every Italian supplier. Verifying that there are no hidden items or additional costs not initially declared.
An often overlooked but essential aspect is verifying the supplier's identity : VAT number, registered office, company registration number, and ARERA authorizations are information that must be easily available and guarantee you're dealing with a serious and reliable operator.
Particular attention should be paid to billing and payment methods , checking the frequency of bills (monthly, bimonthly), accepted payment methods, the availability of direct debit discounts, and the option to receive invoices in digital format for simpler and more sustainable management.
How to read and compare energy offers
The correct reading of an energy offer always starts from the cost of the energy component , which represents approximately 40-50% of the total bill: this value, expressed in €/kWh or €/Smc, is the main element to compare between different proposals, keeping in mind that apparently lower prices could hide other higher costs.
For an effective comparison, it is essential to use the estimated annual expenditure calculated on your actual consumption (detected from your latest bills) or on standard profiles, remembering that a family of three consumes an average of 2.700 kWh of electricity and 1.400 Sm3 of gas per year, values that can vary significantly based on your habits and the energy efficiency of your home.
The ARERA Offers Portal (ilportaleofferte.it) is the official and impartial tool for comparing all the offers available on the market: by entering your consumption data, the system returns a sorted list of available offers, complete with all the financial and contractual details necessary for an informed choice.
When evaluating the overall package, don't overlook the additional services included in the offer: loyalty programs, dedicated support, consumption monitoring tools, energy from certified renewable sources, and energy efficiency services can make a difference, especially when the base prices are aligned.
Mandatory documents that ensure clarity
From 1 July 2025, every energy offer must be accompanied by a Summary Sheet , a standardized document that summarizes all the economic and contractual conditions in a uniform format, making it easy to compare different proposals and preventing the hiding of relevant information in footnotes.
The Technical Economic Conditions (CTE) represent the heart of the contract and must clearly and separately report all applicable fees: energy price, sales services, pass-through charges, and any other cost items, with the obligation to highlight which components are fixed and which may vary over time.
Each commercial offer must include a unique offer code that clearly identifies the proposed conditions, allowing online verification that what has been signed up actually corresponds to what was advertised and facilitating any reporting to the Authority in the event of discrepancies.
The new transparent bill , also in force from July 2025, will be structured like an "energy receipt" with a unified front page containing all the essential information and a dedicated "offer box" that allows you to check at any time that the conditions applied correspond to those agreed upon during the subscription phase.
Tools and rights for an informed choice
The right of withdrawal represents the main protection for consumers: within 14 days of signing a distance or off-premises contract, you can always change your mind without having to provide a reason or pay penalties, simply by sending written notice to the supplier according to the methods indicated in the contract.
Switching suppliers is always free and doesn't involve any interruptions to service: the process, which currently takes between 3 weeks and 60 days, will soon be reduced to just 24 hours, and there are no time constraints or termination penalties that can prevent you from switching to more advantageous conditions when the opportunity arises.
For families experiencing financial hardship, there are social bonuses for electricity and gas, automatic discounts on bills for families with an ISEE of up to €12.000 (€20.000 for large families), while the ARERA Conciliation Service offers a free tool to resolve disputes with suppliers without resorting to ordinary courts.
Protection from unfair commercial practices is guaranteed by a reporting system that allows anomalous behavior to be reported directly to ARERA or consumer associations, helping to maintain a safe and transparent energy market where competition is based on quality of service and not deception.
The article discusses how to choose an energy supplier, but in my opinion it's not very clear on certain points. Even though new rules will come into force in 2025, there's already a need for more information on how to recognize reputable offers.