With the aim of decompressing the pressure of the adjustment on the micro economy and the inflation rate, the Government postponed the removal of State subsidies, but even so, a strong blow to the pockets is expected when the April bills arrive: until 500% in middle and low income households, in the order of 1,000% for some businesses and industries.
It doesn’t all end there. In the energy sector they warn these days that the service will continue to increase in the winter period, just when the stoves and burners are turned on the most.
Energy specialists estimate that between the summer and the beginning of autumn, the National Government set rates at a level similar to that of 2019 for high-income households.
On the other hand, the burden of those days of complaints and uncertainty is postponed for low- and middle-income users, who still have the benefit of the subsidy. In a scenario of economic tension, the Ministry of Economy of the Nation announced in recent days that this line of the ballot will continue until further notice. The decision was associated with the announcement of an improvement in public accounts during the first quarter.
Spending on public services has become a key or cause for concern so far this year.
It is not only because of subsidies that gas can rise. The invoice is impacted by a series of fixed and variable costs generated by the production and transportation of natural gas, taking the dollar and its local price as a reference for calculating costs.
On the other hand, specialists warn that with the latest changes the starting point of billing for each user is much higher due to the increase in the incidence of the fixed charge.
In a train of explanations, it is noted that gas bills are formed based on the cost of generation, transportation, distribution to the meter and taxes (national, provincial and municipal), which are calculated proportionally to the sum of the other three.
Until now, the Government covers with subsidies the difference between the cost of production and what is actually paid.
The subsidy scheme divides residential users into Level 1 (high income) who now pay full price, Level 2 (low income) with a social rate and Level 3 (middle income) with a subsidized consumption cap.
The consulting firm Economía y Energía released an estimate of the bills that residential users will pay starting in April. The calculation was made based on the tables published by the National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas). The increases will reach 343 percent: from $6,821 in May 2023 and in April they jumped to $30,207.
Between summer and the beginning of autumn, the Government put rates at a level similar to that of 2019
In the N2 segment, the jump will be 559%: from $3,000 to $19,000. These users are the ones with the lowest income, but they will have the largest jump.
Meanwhile, the N3 will receive an increase of 424% between May 2023 and April: from $4,891 to $25,629.
Businesses and industries (GSP categories 1, 2 and 3) do not have a subsidy on the price of natural gas generation and will receive the largest increases.
The SGP1, small businesses, will see a jump of 1,140% when comparing May 2023 ($1,154) with April 2024 ($19,272). For SGP 2, it will increase 799% (from $6,690 to $60,172). For SGP 3, small industries, the increase is 318% ($105,000 to $438,319).
According to Economy and Energy, the bills for the N1 residential areas are 17% below the 2019 average. The N2 and N3, 46% and 20%, respectively, are also down.
