Despite the postponement of the phased withdrawal of subsidies and the increase in the price of gas that were planned from this month, Gasnor’s bills began to arrive to homes, businesses, SMEs and industries in Salta with increases that for different segments of residential users range from 210% to 275% and that in the case of non-residential users of categories P1, P2 and P3 exceed 440%.
The heavy increases brought by the current maturities are explained by the strong increases authorized by the National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas) since April in the fixed and variable charges that include both the dollarized price of natural gas set at the point of entry to the transportation system (PIST), as well as the new costs of transportation by gas pipelines (CT) and the added value of home distribution (VAD).
The rate table that the National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas) approved for Gasnor and has been applied since April 5 provides for monthly updates that would raise the bills up to 12 times in winter, with respect to the values they had until March.
Both due to the cold zone regime that discounts a wide range of residential users in the province with up to 50% of the bill and due to low seasonal consumption, the high gas tariff has not yet been felt with final amounts visible on the bills. . However, the approach of the coldest days of the year anticipates another hard blow for family economies devastated by inflation and the collapse of the purchasing power of salaries, taking into account that in the winter period four to five times more food is consumed. gas for heating needs.
In the tariff table that Gasnor began to apply since last April 5, based on the new values authorized by Enargas through resolution 114/2024, the monthly fixed charge for R1 users (residential category with an annual consumption of up to 700 cubic meters) went from $884.42 to $3,110.18 in the three levels into which households are segmented from August 2022 for the gradual withdrawal of energy subsidies: N1 (higher income), N2 (low income ) and N3 (middle income).
For Gasnor R1 users grouped in the N1 tariff segment (the one with the lowest subsidy burden currently), the variable charge for each cubic meter consumed rose from $37.92 in March to $103.90 since April.
For R3-4 users (households with consumption greater than 1,650 cubic meters) the monthly fixed charge jumped from $3,934.89 to $22,258.12, while the variable charge for each meter consumed went, in segment N1, from $44.78 to $103. .90.
Categories and segments
Residential gas users are grouped into eight categories, according to their annual consumption in cubic meters: R1 (up to 700); R2-1 (701 to 800); R2-2 (801 to 900); R2-3 (901 to 1,000); R3-1 (1,001 to 1,200); R3-2(1,201 to 1,400); R3-3 (1,401 to 1,650) and R3-4 (more than 1,650 m3/year). In turn, each of the eight residential categories are differentiated, according to the income level of the households, into segments N1, N2 and N3.
In the table that Gasnor applies since last April 5, the fixed charges are established in general – that is, for both segment N1, N2 and N3 – at $3,110.18 (category R1); $6,262.70 (R2-1); $7,055.22 (R2-2); $7,858.97 (R2-3); $8,996.15 (R3-1); $10,628.45 (R3-2); $12,458.86 (R3-3) and $22,258.12 (R3-4).
In the N1 segment (higher income), the new variable charge for each cubic meter of consumption is $103.90. In N2 (low income) each cubic meter is billed at $36.74 due to the subsidy maintained by the national State for this group of users. In the N3 segment (average income) each cubic meter is billed at $48.72 only for the subsidized consumption blocks established through resolution 686/2022 of the National Energy portfolio. The N3 pay each excess cubic meter the same as the N1, that is, $103.90.
Subsidized gas blocks
For N3 (middle-income) households, consumption that exceeds the subsidized blocks is billed at the same value as for N1, that is, $103.90 for each cubic meter that exceeds these limits. These vary month to month. By April they were established at 42 m3 (category R1); 43 m3 (R2-1); 48 M3 (R2-2); 50 M3 (R2-3); 58 M3 (R3-1); 62 M3 (R3-2); 81M3 (R3-3) and 98 M3 (in R3-4).
