During the worst of the energy crisis, the Government introduced a relief system to reduce the regulated gas tariff, resulting in over a million customers massively transferring to such tariffs to benefit from subsidies. The executive decided As a last resort, this mechanism limiting the increases that can be applied to gas rates should be maintained until at least mid-2024. (TUR) is a practice in which other protection measures are eliminated or softened as part of the ‘social shield’ revised for 2024.
A system that limits but does not prevent increases, as was the case this winter (customers will also notice that VAT on their gas bills has increased from 5% to 10%). Reviewing last resort prices every three months and Executive announced an average increase of 8.19% for approximately 2.8 million homes From January 1 to March 31. An increase of between 5.17 percent and 7 percent will be applied to approximately 6,700 neighborhood communities with central heating and a common tariff. Some increases to be applied during the winter period highest natural gas consumption especially for use in heating.
The Ministry of Ecological Transformation published a decision containing new values to be applied to TUR in the Official State Gazette (BOE) this Friday, due to the ceiling increases and decision implemented by the Government within the scope of anti-crisis packages. General Government Budgets (PGE) meeting accumulated debt energy sector for extraordinary measures
savings on bill
According to the manager’s estimates, these measures have been implemented in order to control the price of the natural gas bill. Households covered by TUR saved on average between 29 and 103 euros per yearDepending on their consumption and contract type, SMEs reduced their costs by 272 euros. The regulated tariff is for those with a consumption of less than 50,000 kWh per year and The price that the government reviews every three months and now, thanks to official aid, they benefit from a discount.
Regulated rates for retail customers are recalculated quarterly (on 1 January, April, July and October) and an update is applied where the cost of raw materials included in the calculation formula shows an upward or downward change of more than 2% compared to the previous period . previous quarter.
But since the early stages of the energy crisis, that is, since October 2021, Management limited increases The measure, which can be applied for a maximum of 15 percent of the raw material cost, will remain in effect until the end of this year. This limit will be maintained for the next two reviews, on January 1 and April 1 (its effect will be extended until at least June 30, 2024).
The Rise of the Neighborhood TOUR
In October last year the Government introduced a new last resort natural gas tariff that could be temporarily applied to communities with centrally heated property. Been around ever since 6,700 neighborhood communities benefited from the subsidy rateAccording to figures managed by the Ministry.
The neighborhood rate, which applies a different calculation formula to the rest of the TUR, will increase between 5.17% and 7% in the next quarter, depending on eight different contract types, with variable maturity. This is an additional increase to the increases of 15.8% to 22.9% already recorded in the last quarter of this year and applied to communities with a common gas tariff for central heating.
The government is a 3 billion euro loan To cover with public money the gap in the gas system accounts (which can be expanded if necessary) that could create a cap on regulated rate and neighborhood tariff increases for individual customers. The Ministry, under the command of Vice President Teresa Ribera, acknowledges: 642 million euros were paid to four major gas companies Until last September, companies had to offer the regulated tariff (Naturgy, Iberdrola, Endesa and Totalenergies) to close the gap in their accounts and offset the cost of anti-crisis measures.