Hearings were held in 2017 to authorize gas tariff increases. Photo David Fernandez
The Secretary of Energy will be summoned public hearing to then formalize the rise of ga ratesyes Gas bills will have a removal of subsidies from September, which will represent a 100% increase. The cost of gas in the bill will increase by 167% for families who will lose the subsidies, and for consumption that exceeds the thresholds allowed by the Government for the different categories of customers.
The cost of gas is the component that has the greatest impact on the ballot papers. But there are also the charges for the distribution service provided by the companies and the taxes. Therefore, the 167% increase in cost has a 100% final impact on tickets, at least at this stage.
Gas bills had a 20% increase in March and another 20% in the middle of the year, which only applied to the middle and upper sectors. On both occasions, public hearings were held to inform the changes.
To go to the next increment, there will be another public hearing, according to industry experts. Official sources have acknowledged to Clarín that this instance will take place soon.
Gas bills with average consumption will go from $ 1,650 per month to $ 3,100 for high-income customers – more than $ 250,000 monthly – or who have not applied for subsidies. In the case of “average” users – they keep part of the subsidies -, they will rise to $ 2,150, according to Federico Bernal, Undersecretary for Hydrocarbons. The official was the controller of Enargas, the regulatory body that manages all gas concessions.
Each customer will have a certain number of cubic meters of “subsidized” consumption, based on the tariff category they have had and also on the region in which they live. The thresholds will be higher in Patagonian cities, where homes require more heating due to the cold.
The “subsidized” caps have been defined annuallyL. This implies that consumers will have a quantity of consumption, at a subsidized price, and the rest at an unsubsidized amount. Since the annual calculation can complicate households, Energy promises it will publish the monthly limits each customer will have on future bills.
The gas increases come at a time when the highest consumption has already passed. The new amounts will take effect in September, but invoices will arrive in October. The impact on the ballot papers will be felt in the comparison between winter 2023 and winter 2022.
The situation is different with electricity distribution. The government has not yet defined whether they will hold a public hearing. Distributors still have little information on what they need to do as of September 1st. They should apply a redial, but a lot of details are missing.
Electricity consumption increases in the summer – up to 20% more than the rest of the year – and households will have to cope with higher sums. The government reiterates that the basic block – of 400 kWh per month, which will continue to be subsidized – is sufficient to meet the needs of most families.
Martin Bidegaray
Source: Clarin
