The cost of electricity bills goes down, and by a lot, while that of utility bills goes up slightly gas. This was communicated by Arera, the Energy Authority, which has calculated also an overall saving for families of around 125 euros in the 12 months from April 2019, 31 to March 2020, 12 compared to the previous XNUMX months.
Going into detail, in the first quarter of 2020 the cost of electricity bills drops by 5,4%, while for gas a rise of 0,8% is expected: a "slight adjustment" in a framework of "substantial stability", explains Arera. The drop in the price of electricity is determined by the drop in energy costs (-2,6%) and by the decrease in general system charges (-2,8%)
"For natural gas - explains Arera - the trend is substantially determined by a slight increase in spending on raw materials (+1,3% on spending by the typical household), mainly linked to the expected prices on the wholesale markets in the next winter quarter, offset by a drop in regulated transport and distribution tariffs (-0,4%), made possible by the revision of the tariff rules for the period and by a slight drop also for general charges (-0,1%) ”.
Going back to the savings in the 12 months between April 2019 and March 2020, it is above all gas that costs the least (-109 euros) while for electricity there is talk of a saving of around 16 euros. The effect on the typical family before taxes, calculated by the Authority, sees it like this the cost of electricity in the 12 months amounted to 544,2 euros (-2,9%) and the cost of gas to around 1.040 euros (-9,5%).
According to the president of Arera, Stefano Besseghini, these data “confirm the correctness of the choices made in the past. The progressive reform approach – he says – has made it possible to avoid repercussions on consumers, despite the unchanged difficulty of having to manage an important parafiscal component in the composition of the tariff”.
The new year therefore opens positively and will also bring two important innovations for consumers. It has in fact been completed, recalls the Authority, domestic tariff reform, eliminating the step that was still present in the structure of general system charges only. The reform of the domestic tariffs, in a gradual process, was defined by the Authority in implementation of the legislative decree n.102/14, and had already eliminated the progressiveness from the tariffs of the network services (transmission and distribution), in compliance with the objectives of environmental sustainability and alignment of the tariff structure with costs of service.
In practice, increasing the power of the meter will no longer involve a tariff increase as in the past and this will allow "to remove - underlines the Arera - the penalty for the diffusion of more efficient electrotechnologies such as heat pumps, induction hobs and electric vehicles ”. Furthermore, just to facilitate the passage, they have been the concessions for changing the power of the meter have also been extended to 2020 electricity at low cost. Customers – who can now choose the 'size' of power most suited to their style of consumption – will still be able to benefit on the protected market from the reduction in 'one off' costs and the contributions foreseen for individual 'shots'.
For families in need finally, the important facilitation of the Social bonuses, automatic returns on the bill from 2021 for all those entitled. A novelty approved in the recent Fiscal Decree, requested several times by the Government and Parliament by the ARERA, which will guarantee access to aid on energy spending, without bureaucratic burdens, to 2,6 million households.
