Increases for electricity and gas bills starting in October. This was announced by Arera, the Energy Regulatory Authority: the increase is respectively 2,6% for electricity and 3,9% for gas. The protests of consumers were immediate, thus witnessing yet another autumn increase although, as Arera is keen to specify, compared to 2018 "the annual increase is more contained, around 1%, also thanks to a slight drop in system costs (about -0,6%)". “A positive scenario – underlines the president Stefano Besseghini -, substantial stability in the medium term”.
So what are the reasons for the increase in energy bills in the last part of the year (when consumption also starts to rise again with the arrival of the cold)? They are linked exclusively to the performance of international markets. In particular, the Authority always explains, the increase in gas is due to the reduction of Dutch production and some restrictions on access to European transit pipelines. These are circumstances that also weigh on the cost of electricity, even if for the latter we must add fears for a possible drop in French production in the coming months, due to problems in some nuclear power plants, and geopolitical tensions related to the attacks on Saudi oil rigs.
The typical family under the enhanced protection regime will therefore spend this year 559 euros for electricity and 1107 euros for gas. Considering the increases, Codacons believes that Italian families will spend an average of 18 euros more, while according to the Consumers' Union the burden is greater, corresponding to 52 euros. It may seem like a small figure, but consumer associations remind us how Italian bills are already significantly higher than the EU average. Uecoop also points out that the burden is especially heavy for poor elderly people, who have increased by 2008% since 4,2, with an incidence almost double the EU average.
