The increase in electricity and gas bills starts on October 1st. L'Arera has decided that for households the increase will be 29,8% for electricity and 14,4% for gas. The new increases, widely announced, are lower than what would have happened if the government had not decided measures amounting to 3,4 billion capable of reducing the overall impact on 29 million households and 6 million micro-enterprises. For over 3 million families who are entitled to the electricity bonus and for 2,5 million who receive the gas bonus, the increases are essentially eliminated with government intervention.
Without this intervention, informs the press release with which Arera announced the new prices, the increase in electricity would have reached +45% and that of gas would have exceeded 30%. The reason for the increases can be found in the strong leap in gas on international markets and in the increase in CO2 emission certificates, both due to the faster-than-expected economic recovery after the long standstill due to the pandemic. Adding the 3,4 billion invested now to the 1,2 billion already spent by the government to contain the increases in the third quarter of 2021, the government is therefore investing almost 5 billion to contain increases in energy. It is clear that the knot-bills will require the choice of more structural measures from 2022 onwards - when a cooling of prices is in any case expected after the post-pandemic rebound - to accompany the path of the energy transition.
“The government's intervention, to which we have provided the necessary technical support, softens the effects in a delicate phase of the recovery to protect the most fragile consumers. Alongside attention to families in the most serious difficulty, the large percentage of families and businesses is now evident which, despite being "average", find it difficult to cope with everyday life. Continuous work is all the more necessary to take advantage of all the opportunities for a structural reduction in energy costs”, states the president of Arera Stefano Besseghini.
Source: Arera press release 28 September 2021
LIGHT AND GAS BILLS, THE INCREASES
With these new increases, the annual electricity bill in 2021 rises to around 631 euros (+30% compared to 2020) with a change of around 145 euros according to Arera calculations. By typical family we mean a family with a 3 kW meter and annual consumption of 2.700 kilowatt hours.
For gas, on the other hand, the same typical family will spend 1.130 euros this year, a figure almost 155 euros higher than in 2020 (+15%). The comparison, however, must take into account the fact that 2020 recorded particularly low prices due to the fall in overall demand due to the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, prevcisa Arera "for electricity, the annual expenditure of 2021 is approximately 13% higher than the pre-Covid one of 2019, while for gas it has essentially returned to the levels of 2019".
LIGHT AND GAS BILLS, BONUS AND DISCOUNTS
The Arera recalls that “since July the automatism that allows those who
he has the right (nuclei with Isee not exceeding 8.265 euros, 20.000 if with more than 3 children) to find the bonus
discount credited directly to the bill". Those who have applied for the Isee will therefore not have to do anything and will automatically find the discounts thanks to the collaboration between Arera, Inps and Acquirente Unico.
The situation of those who are in is different conditions of physical discomfort serious and is forced to use life-saving electro-medical equipment. These involve a significant increase in electricity consumption but it will be necessary to receive the new discounts fill in the appropriate application.
The "automatic" bonus in the bill is operational thanks to the collaboration between ARERA and the subjects who
manage the ISEE and utilities data – respectively INPS and Acquirente Unico.
LIGHT AND GAS BILLS, DOWN IN 2022
“As for the gas forecast, it shouldn't continue to grow as fast as it has in recent quarters. Analysts tell us that around March, we will be able to see an improvement, on the occasion of the opening of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline”. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani looks with a certain optimism to the forecasts on the trend of energy prices and while emphasizing that "these are only forecasts" the fact remains that the government is preparing for a structural impact. We are preparing to have a stronger structural system" on the composition of the bill. The hope is that the price of gas will stay where it is now: if no other changes come, it should stay where it is. We are following international trends, precisely because we had the lesson of the previous quarter, we intervened first trying to mitigate as much as possible, but this is the cost of the primary asset and it affects all markets, we will do everything possible but this is the reality".
Updated at 11:55am on September 29, 2021
