CHILE · POWER UTILITY
Key Facts
- The ruling Supreme Court ruling, made public in mid-October 2026, rejects appeals by Enel Distribución Chile and Enel Colina.
- Who is paid 127,756 customers who lost power from 29 January to 2 February 2021.
- Damages CLP50,000 (about US$51) per customer, set as a flat sum for moral damages.
- Bill-based payment Ten times the customer’s average daily billing for each day without power.
- Exchange rate CLP970.95 per US$1, the central bank’s observed dollar for 5 November 2026.
- Power Index Chile ranks 3rd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 62.9 points (November 2026 edition).
Chile’s Supreme Court orders Enel to pay compensation to 127,756 customers who lost power for days in early 2021, ending the power company’s last appeal. The ruling, made public in mid-October 2026, leaves intact a collective lawsuit brought by the national consumer agency.
Each customer is due CLP50,000 (about US$51) in damages, plus a payment tied to their own electricity bill. All US$ figures use CLP970.95 per US$1, the central bank’s observed dollar for 5 November.
What the Court Decided
The Supreme Court rejected the appeals on the merits filed by Enel Distribución Chile and Enel Colina, and declared their procedural appeals inadmissible. It upheld a ruling of the Santiago Court of Appeals dated 2 July 2026.
That ruling confirmed a 29 August 2024 sentence from the Fourth Civil Court of Santiago, which found both companies liable under consumer law. The case file is numbered C-8477-2021 in the lower court and 44,862-2026 at the Supreme Court.
Who Gets Paid and How Much
The court found that more than 127,756 consumers were affected by blackouts that lasted, in some cases, up to 83 hours. The outages ran from 29 January to 2 February 2021, during a weather event the court called foreseeable.
Each customer receives CLP50,000 (about US$51) for moral damages, which adds up to roughly CLP6.4 billion (US$6.6 million) across all 127,756 customers. A second payment follows the consumer law, which sets ten times the average daily amount on the customer’s last bill for each day without power.
How Compensation Is Calculated
The consumer agency argued that the law ties the second payment to each customer’s own consumption, not to flat sums. The Court of Appeals agreed and replaced the flat sums with an individual calculation.
It will use the billing data that Enel itself supplied and the agency’s compensation report.
Who Started the Case
The National Consumer Service, known as SERNAC, filed the collective lawsuit in October 2021 against Enel Distribución Chile and Enel Colina. SERNAC is the state agency that defends consumers’ rights in Chile.
Enel Chile, the group’s Chilean parent, reported the case in its annual report to US regulators for 2025. The filing states that Enel Chile owns 99.09% of Enel Distribución Chile, which serves the Santiago region.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Enel Distribución Chile is the electricity distributor for Santiago, and Enel Colina is its subsidiary serving the Colina area. Both belong to the Enel group, an Italian energy company.
A collective lawsuit lets one agency sue for thousands of consumers at once. Our earlier report on Enel Chile’s third-quarter profit covers the parent’s finances.
What It Means for You
For US investors in Chilean utilities, the payout is small next to Enel’s earnings but shows that courts can order automatic compensation. Enel Chile files annual reports with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Customers of Enel in Santiago may receive credits on their bills without applying. For related reading, see our report on Enel’s concession vote in São Paulo.
What Is Not Known
It is not clear when payments will start. Reports say credits will be issued once the ruling becomes final, and Enel and SERNAC can say when that happens.
The total cost depends on each customer’s billing, which has not been published. Enel Chile can give a figure in its next quarterly filing.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Did Chile’s Supreme Court Decide About Enel?
It rejected the final appeals of Enel Distribución Chile and Enel Colina, in a ruling made public in mid-October 2026. That keeps the order to compensate customers affected by the 2021 blackouts.
How Many Customers Will Be Compensated?
The ruling covers 127,756 customers of the two companies. They lost power between 29 January and 2 February 2021.
How Much Will Each Customer Receive?
Each customer gets CLP50,000 (about US$51) in damages, plus an amount equal to ten times their average daily billing for each day without power. The second amount varies by customer.
Do Customers Need to Apply?
Reports say payments will be made automatically as credits once the ruling is final. Customers should watch their Enel bills and SERNAC announcements.
Sources: Court of Appeals of Santiago, ruling in SERNAC v Enel Distribución Chile and Enel Colina (Rol 17.088-2024), 2 July 2026; Judiciary of Chile, news on the Court of Appeals ruling, 6 July 2026; Enel Chile, annual report on Form 20-F for 2025, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission; Central Bank of Chile, observed dollar (via mindicador.cl), 5 November 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error