The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) announced this Friday, the 25th, that the tariff flag applicable in October will be green. This determination implies that there will be no extra cost added to the electricity bill next month.
This change follows a five-month period under the yellow flag. During this time, the yellow modality was adding R$ 1.885 for every 100 kWh consumed. In September, Aneel maintained the yellow flag due to a scenario considered less favorable for energy production.
According to the agency, the transition to the green flag is linked to the shift between dry and wet periods in various Brazilian river basins. The increase in precipitation volume in the South and Southeast regions helped keep the reservoir levels of hydroelectric plants stable.
With the improvement in generation conditions, it becomes feasible to decrease the use of more expensive energy sources, such as thermal power plants. Consequently, the extra costs that were passed on to consumers through the tariff flags become unnecessary.
In practice, the consumer will not pay the additional amount related to the yellow flag during the month of October. The green flag signals favorable conditions for energy generation and does not impose surcharges on the tariff. The flag system was established by Aneel to inform consumers monthly about the costs and conditions of electricity generation.
When generation conditions deteriorate, the yellow and red flags may be activated. The logic of this system takes into account, among other elements, the need to operate thermal power plants, which have higher generation costs.
Despite the change in the tariff flag, this does not guarantee that the electricity bill will automatically be cheaper in all situations, as the final amount paid by the consumer still depends on the tariffs stipulated by the local distributor.
Recently, Aneel adjusted the projection of the average impact of energy tariffs in the country for 2026, raising it to 9.4%. This index considers variables such as inflation, energy costs, and financial components. The 9.4% projection refers to the average tariff effect for Brazil in 2026 and already incorporates resources related to the renegotiation of Public Asset Use (UBP) obligations. Aneel reported that this index exceeded the inflation estimates presented in the bulletin, which were 4.4% for IGP-M and 5.0% for IPCA.
Therefore, although October has a green flag and does not have an additional charge linked to the flag system, this does not negate other elements that make up the total energy bill value.