The intention was good, but the execution is weak. mechanism designed by the Government to prevent consumers gas pay bills with Prices skyrocketed this winter it didn’t work. Of the total of 6.5 million customers that were in the free market until a few months ago, only a few have moved to the regulated market. 250,000, according to industry sources. The Ministry of Ecological Transition is now looking for the formula to speed up A process approved by government sources that aims to reach more users, according to El Confidencial.
Energy crisis triggered gas price in international market and Government decided September last year To control the increase in the regulated tariff (TUR) by limiting the raw material price increase, which is updated every three months, to 15%. A month ago the Manager went one step further and decided subsidize this difference, assuming the cost of this deficit with an initial donation of 3,000 million euros by December of next year. And added the possibility of contracting this cheap rate to neighboring communities with central heating, which means barrage of change requestsaccording to companies.
Currently, they can only offer so-called Last Resource Tariff for Gas (ENG) four companies what are they Naturgy, Endesa, Iberdrola and Total Energies. Together with Repsol, they hold 95% of the gas market share. Holaluz took the sixth place, which announced at the beginning of October that it will stop selling gas and transfer its customers to the regulated rate. they follow him ENI, Fenie and Factor Energia. However, gas industry employers sedigas He says that it is impossible for the big four to transfer the remaining millions of customers with high rates on their own.
Sedigas asked the government for permission more companies can also offer regulated rate in addition to power simplify the cycle for what be a change in practice automaticwith a simple phone call or online, without the need to perform any additional procedures.
The problem is, according to sources in the industry, not all companies can offer TOURso its pricing formula indexed foreign indices (aspect Brent). Historically, companies offering this rate imported gas and while there are international conventions attached to these indices, today buy gas in spain (Mibgas) said that they will take the risk of buying more expensive than they sell with TUR, according to sources in the industry. Thus, the price in the last six months Mibgas became lowerThis will lead them to extraordinary profits, but this can change and pose a risk that could jeopardize their viability.
Another option that the sector brought to the agenda with the Ministry of Ecological Transition, and that reach more companies government devoted to same money aimed at subsidizing the regulated tariff to reduce the difference between the free rate and the regulated rate. In this way, all companies can offer a free rate at affordable prices. So, maybe it would be 20% more expensive than TUR, but not double or triple as it is now. Finally in the case of a normal price according to sources in the industry to increase the regulated rate usually goes Accompanied If the increase in the free rate and therefore the regulated rate slows down, the free market rate should also slow down.
government acquaintances speeches industry to find best solution It allows speeding up the transfer of customers without approving the formula to be applied. So it’s about finding a way so before January and February central winter monthsmost gas users cheap rate and also avoid disappearance of competition. One of the main criticisms small companies grouped Association of Independent Energy Marketers (ACIE) It happened that after the government announced it would subsidize TUR, it would “waste free commercialization”, putting some companies at a disadvantage over others.