The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport revealed today that the number of beneficiaries under the Social Tariff and the Extraordinary Social Support for Energy Consumers recorded an increase over 81% in 2015, covering more than two thousand Azorean families.

Vítor Fraga spoke to journalists at the end of a visit to the EDA Mobile Shop in the village of Santo António in Ponta Delgada. In this regard, Vítor Fraga pointed out that the number families covered by this measure "registered a growth over 81% this year, i.e., another 926 families are benefiting from this support measure. Currently, there are a total of beneficiary 2,040 families in the Region."

The Regional Secretary recalled that the Social Tariff "allows a 20% discount on the price of the contracted power capacity," while the Extraordinary Social Support for Energy Consumers offers a "global a 13.8% discount in the overall electricity bill, thus contributing to the increase of household disposable income."

According to Vítor Fraga, the Government of the Azores "has developed a series of initiatives to promote and disseminate these benefits for consumers."

In order to benefit from Social Tariff and the Extraordinary Social Support for Energy Consumers, consumers should request the application form at any EDA office. Eligible consumers for these support measures should benefit from social support: elderly pension supplement, Social Integration Benefits, unemployment benefits, family allowance, disability pension, elderly pension. In addition, the support also covers families with an annual maximum income of 5,280 Euros.