On January 14, 2026, Supreme Decree No. 79 of the Ministry of Energy was published in the Official Gazette, approving the new Regulation on Network Gas Services and the Distribution of Bulk Liquefied Gas. This regulation repeals Supreme Decree No. 67 of 2004 and aims to operationalize and complement the substantive amendments introduced to the gas market by Law No. 20.999.

Below is an overview of the procedural and operational aspects introduced by the regulation for the effective implementation of the law.

REGULATORY IMPLEMENTATION AND NEW PROCEDURES

The regulation focuses on governing the practical mechanisms for exercising the rights and obligations already established in the Gas Services Law:

• Desarrollo del nuevo esquema de clasificación de servicios
  • El Reglamento desarrolla una tipología más precisa de los servicios de gas, distinguiendo entre usuarios residenciales, comerciales e industriales (clasificación ya incorporada por la Ley N°20.999), y desarrolla un marco tarifario más elaborado, que regula las tarifas garantizadas, fija umbrales de consumo, reconoce el derecho a optar por precios libres y refuerza los deberes de información periódica hacia los usuarios.
• Operationalization of the Tariff Option (Industrial)

• • With respect to the tariff option right for customers with consumption between 2,000 and 5,000 GJ/month (established in Article 39 of the Law), the regulation defines the calculation procedure to determine customer eligibility.
  • It also regulates the notification mechanism: the switch to a free-price regime must be communicated at least 6 months in advance and requires a minimum permanence period of 4 years.

• Supplier Change Procedure (Portability)

• • The regulation details the technical and administrative procedure to exercise the right to change supplier (Article 29 bis of the Law).
  • Strict deadlines are established for both the “outgoing company” and the “incoming company.”
  • It also regulates the transfer, valuation, and removal of installations (service connections and meters) in order to prevent de facto barriers to market entry.

• Compensation Methodology

• • For the application of statutory compensations for supply interruptions (15 times the value of the gas not supplied, pursuant to Article 45 of the Law), the regulation defines the precise calculation formula.
  • It establishes that the duration of the interruption is measured from the moment quality or pressure specifications are breached until the effective and safe restoration of the service.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INDUSTRY

For Distribution Companies:

• Contractual Adjustment: They have a mandatory period of 2 months to adapt their standard contract models to the new regulatory provisions.
• Information Systems: They must implement management systems that allow compliance with the new response standards for supplier changes and complaint handling (maximum response time of 10 days).
• Emergency Management: Enforceable time standards are set for emergency response: 90 minutes for mitigation and 180 minutes for repairs.

For Large Consumers (Industrial):

• The need to review contracts is triggered for customers in the 2,000 to 5,000 GJ range. The regulation clarifies that distribution companies must inform these customers of their classification in January, opening the negotiation window to exercise the free-price option.

ENTRY INTO FORCE AND TRANSITIONAL REGIME

The regulation entered into force upon its publication, triggering the following mandatory deadlines for industry adaptation:

• 2 months: To have new standard contract models per service available.
• 3 months: To classify all existing services (Residential, Commercial, Industrial).
• Valuation Report: The first four-year report under this regulation will cover the period from July 26, 2026 to July 26, 2030.
• Informe de Valorización: Se establece que el primer informe cuatrienal bajo esta normativa corresponderá al periodo comprendido entre el 26 de julio de 2026 y el 26 de julio de 2030.

The publication of Supreme Decree No. 79 concludes the regulatory cycle initiated by Law No. 20.999, eliminating the operational uncertainties that hindered the application of mechanisms such as supplier switching and the industrial tariff option. Companies in the sector should prioritize adapting their commercial and emergency procedures in order to avoid sanctions and compensations, which now have a clearly defined calculation methodology.

Si requiere información adicional sobre esta materia, contactar a Francisco López (flopez@jdf.cl) o Eduardo Silva (esilva@jdf.cl).