After 6 consecutive quarters of increases, le micro and small businesses they breathe again. In the second quarter of 2022 the expenses for electricity and gas, referring to some typical profiles operating under the protection regime and representative of the production and consumption needs of Italian micro and small businesses, will record a reduction of -9,7% and -7,4% respectively, compared to the previous quarter. This brings to a halt a path of strong growth that began at the end of spring last year, even though the growth in expenditure remains marked compared to last year. This is what emerges from the periodic monitoring of the costs of local public services incurred by micro and small enterprises operated by Unioncamere and BMTI, with the support of REF Ricerche.
This year's report was prepared during a period of great uncertainty following the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine. International tensions have led to increases in the international prices of natural gas and, consequently, of electricity. The search by European countries for new sources of supply has partially eased the tension in recent weeks, together with the extraordinary measures taken by the Italian government, such as the zeroing of general charges , VAT reduction for gas. Furthermore, the meteorological conditions have certainly not helped Italy, which has long faced cold temperatures and an extraordinary drought, which has halved the national hydroelectric production.
How much will the bills for small and micro businesses fall?
The average unit expenditure will therefore settle at 429 euros per MWh for electricity and 1,30 euros per cubic meter for natural gas in the second quarter of 2022. Specifically, among the different types of business profiles analysed, as regards the electricity, the reductions compared to the first quarter of 2022 fluctuate between -10,2% for non-food store and -8,8% for thefruit and vegetables, while for the expenditure of natural gas the decreases range from -10% for i hairdressers at -3% for i supermarkets.
However, the pressure on businesses remains high, with an increase in spending of +2021% for electricity and +88% for natural gas compared to the second quarter of 83,8. The effect of the considerable increase in the sales component weighs above all.
