UTILITIES
Published June 2026
You’ve found a place! You’ve got a rental contract or proof of purchase now it’s time for the less glamourous but very necessary part - set up your utilities.
The Best FREE Service
I have the easiest way to get this done AT NO COST TO YOU!
No, this is not a scam. This is a 100% free service to get your internet, mobile, electricity and natural gas hooked up without the daunting task of dealing with companies and navigating language barriers.
This utilities angel is:
Ask Fernando
Website: askfernando.pt
Whatsapp/Phone: +352 913 287 073 (There is also a handy direct whatsap button on the website)
Email - fernandomendes@askfernando.pt
How it works:
Fernando’s business is a one man show. He is native Portuguese who is 100% fluent in English.
He sets up your utilities at the times you specify. He does not need access to your property. He does this for anywhere on continental Portugal, not just Lisbon. You walk in, everything is ready.
He gets a small standard sales commission from the utility companies, hence why it’s not out of your pocket. It’s genius.
Honestly, when I found about this, I was soooo annoyed it was after I’d already moved in. However, so many friends in my circle have used this service with nothing but praise. I have spoken to Fernando on the phone myself, and I personally vouch for his authenticity and let me tell you, he is on it. Efficient, fast, responsive.
For the Açores & Madeira islands he can do telecommunications but the system doesn't allow him to do other utilities.
Water connection is the one service Fernando does have to charge for, as the providers are run by the municipalities and do not pay commissions. You can deal with EPAL (or the provider in your district) yourself or let Fernando take care of it with a 60 euro fee that you pay only after it’s been connected. (You are not obligated to do this with him even if you’ve used his free service.)
If you do wanna DIY setting up your utilities, or just want a better understanding of how it all works, read on.
Telecommunications
Standard practice is to bundle internet + TV + mobile as it works out significantly cheaper. For telecommunications, Fernando uses the most popular three companies - MEO, NOS & Vodafone.
As a previous Vodafone user, I am happy with the deal I got when I switched to smaller company Digi who, along with Woo that many of my friends use, have entered the space as disruptors with their significantly lower prices (for now at least).
Direct debit is expected. Keep your contract termination dates: Portuguese utility and telecom contracts auto-renew. If you are leaving Portugal, you need to give 30 days' written notice to cancel. The larger telecom companies' contracts usually have 24-month commitments, the smaller ones don’t (Digi was 3 months and then pay per month).
As an EU visitor to Portugal, EU roaming rules apply, which means if you have an EU SIM card from another country, it will work in Portugal at your normal rates with your provider. As a resident in Portugal, operators have fair-use policies on permanent roaming, so you should get a Portuguese SIM.
Water
As I mentioned, water supply is managed by municipal utilities, not private companies. This makes it a bit more fragmented as your provider depends on your postcode.
For a general guide:
Lisbon - EPAL
Porto - Águas do Energia do Porto
Algarve - Águas do Algarve
Other Areas - SMAS Serviços Municipalizados, all seperate entities under their own district, e.g SMAS Almada.
Epal for Lisbon allows online registration that you can do here. Most of the larger districts also do online rego though I’ve been told some smaller ones require a visit to the local utility's office with your NIF, rental contract or property deed, and identification.
Water bills are typically made up of four components: a small a fixed monthly fee for being connected to the network, water consumption, sewage, and waste water drainage.
Bestie tips: When opening your account, make sure to photograph the meter. Otherwise the water provider opens the contract at the prior customer's last reading and you will pay for whatever they used after that.
Select electronic bills (digital fatura) & direct debit to pay. This will ensure you actually get the bills on time and avoid late fees that come with snail mail and manual payments.
Register your customer portal account for self-reading and consumption monitoring. Otherwise EPAL will send a technician to read your physical water meter and if they can’t get into your building/acess the meter they will give you an estimated bill. Estimating your consumption is not exactly science and often results in an unexpectedly large back-bill when the meter is finally read. Lisbon residents can use the myAQUA app for your readings with EPAL. I strongly advise going to Meter Reading Alerts to set up a ping on your phone and take the reading so you’re never late.
Electricity
The main suppliers are EDP, Galp, Endesa & Respol. There is also a smaller company called Goldenergy that is making headway by undercutting the big dogs. Please refer to their websites for each companies’ rates and policies. These contracts have no lock in time and can be cancelled whenever you choose.
There is a new hero in town though - Coopérnico. All the energy they sell is certified 100% renewable (primarily solar). With a non-for-profit structure, to buy electricity from them Portuguese cooperative law requires you to first become a member by buying a small one-time share in the cooperative, usually around 60 euro. Unlike other companies that "greenwash" by buying carbon offsets, Coopérnico actively builds out new renewable capacity on the Portuguese grid. I will be making the switch. If you already use Coopérnico, I’d love to hear from you.
Gas
I don’t have gas connected to my apartment but many in Lisbon do for cooking and water heating. Piped natural gas is available in most urban areas of mainland Portugal but many rural properties (and some older buildings in Lisbon) still use bottled gas. The main suppliers of natural gas are Galp, EDP, Repsol and also Goldenergy, that I mentioned above.
If your property uses bottled gas, 13kg butane cylinders cost around 30 EUR and can be ordered from Galp, Repsol, or Rubis for home delivery.
As with electricity, gas contracts have no lock in time and can be cancelled whenever you choose.
Bestie Note: Much to the chagrin of my Portuguese mates, my BBQ is gas instead of coals and I learnt the hard way that the connections are not universal if you got yours outside Portugal (our Webber is from Spain) and thus need to order our bottles from Prio.
Extra Info
To know more about your rights, where to complain when something isn’t right, or changing providers you can go to the government website in english, here.