Large energy companies are benefiting from a large customer rollover to regulated gas rates, due to Government-enabled assistance to lower the bill. Forced to offer different regulated tariffs (tariffs of last resort, called TUR), the main gas companies are a real avalanches of demand to jump into regulated jobs. A complete trade reversal compared to the trend in recent years, when the customer base of regulated tariffs has shrunk and free market tariffs have grown.
In recent months, with the fever of state aid, major energy groups added at least 442,000 new customers at regulated gas tariff marketersAccording to internal data of companies accessed by El Periódico de España from the Prensa Ibérica group.
improvisationThe main operator of the Spanish gas market, the retailer of last resort, has a customer portfolio of 190,000 customers in the last part of the year. iberdrola It nearly tripled home volume at a regulated rate, from 111,000 customers at the end of September to a total of 300,000 users at year-end. Endesa It increased its customers with regulated gas rates, with 63,000 new registrations in just two months in October and November, pending December data closing. Since total energies They do not facilitate the development of contracts.
At the end of the year, Nearly two million houses regulated their customs tariffs contracted gas, which was more than 30% above the volume available when the Executive activated the assistance plan last October. However, the number of customers covered by the free gas market rates, whose prices are freely determined by the companies, is much larger than the number of customers of the regulated business whose prices are determined quarterly by the Government based on the evolution of international prices. hydrocarbons, but their increase has the maximum limit since last year. Free market rates remain the most popular option, with nearly 6 million customers still using them.
Tariffs subsidized 3,000 million
Last October, the Government introduced a million-dollar package of measures to lower the price of regulated gas tariffs; direct subsidy to the bills of these customers big energy companies start charging. A crisis prevention shield of 3,000 million was included in the More Energy Security Plan, which is the contingency plan that Brussels demands from member states to combat the energy crisis and which envisages continuing to limit by law the increases that can be applied to 1.5 million customers, reducing the regulated gas tariff throughout 2023 and also creating a new type of discounted rate for 1.7 million houses with central heating in the neighborhood.
Ministry of Ecological Transition, led by Teresa Ribera, Vice President Exceptional loan for 3,000 million It promises not to cover the cost of these measures, but to “increase this item by the amount necessary to cover the actual deficit caused” from now until the end of 2023. It calculates a million-dollar hole the aid will make in the gas system, which could be triggered by this massive customer flight to regulated rates.
CNMC investigation
The National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has launched an investigation into large gas companies. deliberately blocking the bulk transfer of customers towards regulated gas tariffs. The agency activated an information file and requested periodic and permanent information from the client. Naturgy, Endesa, Iberdrola and Totalenergies About the technical and personnel resources used to deal with rate change requests, following many consumers’ complaints about waiting times, lack of information and difficulties in completing the contract.
Amid the avalanche of requests to change the rate, Competition decided to expand the investigation. watch out for other potential fraudulent behavior this is in connection with the customer transfer. CNMC, as part of the same information file, when energy companies change companies for additional services (maintenance, emergencies, equipment overhaul…) from their customers.
The government has committed to one of its latest ‘macro-decrees’ on anti-crisis energy measures, compelling companies to terminate additional services at the same time as unsubscribing from gas supply to go to another marketer. The CNMC is auditing to see if all groups actually comply with this new requirement, given suspicions that it hasn’t happened.
It is emphasized that they are owned by large energy companies. strengthened customer service channels to meet the increase in demands from customers who want to switch from the free market to the regulated market in recent months. Naturgy has activated a procedure to automate the migration of its customers to TURs via a form on its website, and has now launched an information campaign to keep customers and former customers engaged, emphasizing that the regulated rates are the cheapest in the market.
Industry complaints
Companies in the gas sector are only warning of the consequences of measures taken to reduce one type of tariff. Gas companies are part of the Department’s aid plan for the Ecological Transition, which is for regulated rates only. break the market and threaten stability Companies that offer free market rates are therefore putting pressure on the Government to take action to lower the bill for all customers, not just a piece.
Employer sedigas It asked the Government to allow any marketer to offer regulated gas rates or apply similar subsidies to free market rates – bringing together marketers, transport and distribution network companies, and industry suppliers.
It was expected to be different from the government. Alternatives to speed up the change of customers, but has not taken any action for now.. In line with this, Sedigás celebrates the reduction of VAT on the gas bill from 21% to 5% by at least the end of 2023, but calls for other taxes on the gas bill (eg Special Hydrocarbon Tax) to be cut as they are already easing. consumers.
This Association of Independent Energy Marketers (ACIE) Measures that serve to protect vulnerable consumers from the effects of the crisis (such as assistance in the thermal social bonus) require the government to recruit only users who really need it because of their low incomes. And if the Administrator is not just giving benefits to vulnerable groups, he claims that benefits should reach all customers, not just customers at regulated rates. It has been proposed from the small energy companies association to reduce the regulated costs of the gas bill by reducing the tolls and fees included in the receipt.