99% of Portugal’s Homes Have Power—Aid and Refunds Now Open

The Portugal grid operator E-Redes has trimmed the number of homes and businesses still in the dark to roughly 6,500 supply points, a milestone that finally pushes the country within striking distance of full recovery after storm Kristin’s devastation.

Why This Matters

• Power back for 99.2 % of users: only 6,500 delivery points remain disconnected, down from 850,000 on 28 January.

• End-of-February target: E-Redes says the last cables in Leiria and Santarém should be re-energised before March.

• Automatic bill credit: every low-voltage customer who lost electricity will see the network-access portion of the tariff refunded.

• €2.5 B public aid: property owners and small firms in the 68 declared-calamity municipalities can already apply online.

The Long Road to Lights-On

Two and a half weeks ago hurricane-force gusts ripped through central Portugal, toppling thousands of medium- and low-voltage poles. Within 24 hours, Leiria alone had 290,000 customers offline; today fewer than 5,000 remain. Santarém, Castelo Branco and Coimbra follow the same downward curve, albeit at different speeds.

E-Redes chief José Ferrari Careto insists the last repairs are the hardest: “Many spans run through pine forest where every access track was blocked. Crews advance on foot or with winches.” Drones and a pair of helicopters rented from Spain are now checking the final lines so that temporary generators can be lifted out.

Government Money Already Flowing

Cabinet’s €2.5 B rescue envelope, approved on 1 February, is divided into housing grants, SME liquidity lines, municipal infrastructure repair and farming subsidies. According to the Portugal Ministry for Territorial Cohesion, 12,000 claims were filed in the first two weeks; the average housing-repair grant sits at €7,400—roughly three months of mortgage on a T3 in the region.

Key items to remember:

Homeowners can fast-track claims under €5,000 with only geotagged photos; bigger losses need a joint inspection by the municipality and the regional development commission.

Firms get a six-month full Social-Security exemption plus access to a €500 M treasury loan window at Euribor + 1 %.

Farmers hurt by salinity or toppled greenhouses qualify for non-refundable €10,000 restoration cheques.

What This Means for Residents

• Expect crews at work until 29 February. If you still have no power after midnight on 1 March, the National Energy Ombudsman says you may file for additional compensation under article 72-A of the Electricity Service Code.

• Meter readings matter. Photograph the current kWh value the moment supply is restored; that timestamp is required for the credit to appear on the April invoice.

• Stay away from fallen lines. E-Redes repeats: call 800 506 506 or use the Balcão Digital portal; do not attempt to clear branches yourself.

Businesses Face a Second Battle

Industrial zones around Marinha Grande report multi-million-euro stoppages. BA Glass kept its €60 M furnace alive using diesel that cost over €10,000 per day; smaller plastics moulders simply shut doors. The regional employers’ federation warns that “cash-flow, not broken roofs” will decide who survives—hence the 90-day tax and loan moratorium written into the support package.

Looking Ahead

Meteorologists at the Portugal Sea & Atmosphere Institute (IPMA) see no new Atlantic depressions on the charts, giving utilities a clear weather window. The critical question now is whether municipalities can accelerate the separate tendering process to rebuild high-pressure water mains and fibre trunks, jobs that fall outside E-Redes’ remit but are just as visible to residents.

Municipal councils in Leiria, Ourém and Tomar plan joint procurement to shave weeks off paperwork. If they succeed, most public services—from school Wi-Fi to regional train signalling—could be back at pre-storm status before Easter.

For now, the advice is simple: log damages, photograph everything and keep hotline numbers handy. The lights are almost back, but the paperwork marathon has only begun.