This energy crisis marked by Russian invasion of Ukraine doubled customer flight regulated electricity tariff 450,000 users More than once between June and December 2021 one million In the next six months, according to official data released by the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC). in a year its market share increasing from 40% to 30% of consumers.
This regulated rate It is intended for small households and SMEs with a contracted power of less than 10 kilowatts, and the amount directly depends on the price determined by the wholesale electricity market. The free market rate references the price of the PVPC rate (Voluntary Price for Small Consumers) and adds a margin, so although this is a price more stable but also more expensive. Numerous reports released by the regulator have endorsed PVPC as the cheapest rate.
However price bullshit In recent months, along with some government measures — such as cutting aid to those who sell their energy at more than 67 euros per megawatt hour — changed positions. After the hike in electricity prices in 2021 starting in the spring, fee regulated customers paid 20% more on averagethose in the free market mostly benefited from some artificially lowered prices because they have not yet internalized the rise in the market and also benefited from the reduction of taxes and regulated costs by the Government.
why did this happen Leak of ‘edited’ usersIt resulted in the flight of approximately 450,000 customers in six months, which was also promoted by noise, sound created around the new hourly rate enacted in June of that year and offering advertising campaigns of large firms ‘fixed prices’ in the free market. But big rollover when it occurs in 2022, one million people left the regulated market in the first seven months of the year and 8.8 million in July, last month with official data from CNMC. The number of free market customers reached an all-time high of 19 million.
From then on, the changes seem to have been preserved, according to the records the two main energy companies included in their quarterly results between June and September. In the case of Endesa, the company Reached 602,000 users 139,000 of this market is up to the ninth month of the year, which occurred in the third quarter. Duration iberdrolabetween 395,000 customers in the regulated market (gas customers are also here) 94,000 people who passed for free left in the summer. In both cases, the two main electricity companies in Spain, earned users in this supply clear terms. In other words, they added more customers from the free market than they lost in the regulated market.
And all this despite the fact that the development of the regulated electricity tariff has become more advantageous for the customer than the free market: the median income of the regulated tariff is an increase of 14% accumulated through October 2022 (approximately, according to data from Caixabank Research based on anonymized data of customers, increased by 20% (up to 80 Euros, 58 Euros) on the market.
Withdrawal of customers from the regulated market is not new, and indeed this is one of the aims of liberalization of the electricity market, the problem is that exchanges take place between companies. vertically integrated groups, this does not provoke competition, on the contrary. In fact, in recent months, complaints have started coming in. small marketers about which big companies can put lower prices. But in this case, no investigation was made by the regulator, as is the case with gas stations.
Free market users more profitable for income statements large Business because they let them stretch margins The regulated tariff has a price dependent on market production without expansion capacity. However, it is expected next year. ultimate rapier By creating a new calculation methodology for the PVPC rate, which will reformulate its calculation and prevent medium-sized companies from benefiting from it, because according to the Manager’s suggestion, it will be limited to domestic users and micro-enterprises (less owners). more than ten workers or with an annual turnover of less than 2 million Euros).