The national government once again took the chainsaw through the energy sector and this time they will be It is the middle and lower class users who will have to face the changes that in the region imply the setting of limits for subsidized energy for more than 200,000 families. The adjustment comes in the middle of winter, so it will be key not to exceed the set volumes if you do not want to pay more.
He The objective of Javier Milei’s administration with these changes is to reduce the contributions that the State makes in subsidies to energy, given that despite the increases that occurred in February (electricity) and April (gas), the effect of the devaluation of the peso caused them to liquefy and threatened that the subsidies, instead of being reduced, would end up exceeding to subscribers last year, that is, they could be close to 10,000 million dollars.
Let’s analyze each service separately, since they have their own particularities. In the case of natural gas service through networks, which in the region is provided by the company Camuzzi Gas del Sur, sAn increase in the cost of gas itself was applied, and a consumption cap was also implemented with a subsidy for lower-income users.those in category N2, which until May did not have any type of limit.
Specifically, gas rates for this month will have a average increase of 15% for middle class or N3 segment users13.5% for those in the highest class or N1, and much more marked, for 26% for users in category N2, those with the lowest resources economical.
But In addition to these increases, users in the lowest category began to have the same consumption limit that already applied to the intermediate category.so if their consumption exceeds that volume of gas per month, they will have to pay the difference at a much higher value, thus multiplying the bills unpredictably.
- 145,000
- They are the Edersa users who will have modifications to the subsidized energy limits starting this month.
For this month of June, the gas consumption limit for users N2 and N3 is 217 cubic meters monthly if they are identified as R1 users, low consumption.
The limit rises to 257 cubic meters per month if they are medium consumption users, or R31. While the category of users with the highest consumption (R34) has a limit of 314 cubic meters for this month.
These values are low compared to a average consumption for the area, which in this winter season is usually close to 450 cubic meters for an R31 user, with which great attention must be paid how much consumption was recorded in the same month last year, to try to anticipate if they may be below the limit or should try to save gas.
In Río Negro and Neuquén There are nearly 475,000 residential users of gas service through networks, of which About 180,000 are in the lowest segmentation group and another 100,000 in the intermediate segment.
Both groups are affected by consumption caps, which are identical in both cases although the difference is in the cost of the excess gas. Starting this month, users in the intermediate group will pay $1.50 per cubic meter with subsidy (before the zone) and $2.93 per cubic meter in excess.
But Lower-income users (N2) will pay $1.19 per cubic meter (before zone discount) and the surplus at $2.50.
Changes in electrical energy
In the case of electrical energy, there was also an increase in the wholesale price of energy itself, as well as the application and reduction of consumption caps with subsidies.
In regards to increase itself, it reaches 155% for lower-income usersthe N2, borders the 100% for those in the intermediate group N3 and is 23% for the highest income sector or N1.
As can be seen, the increases are much more marked for lower-income families, since what What was also modified was the percentage of coverage of the subsidies on the cost of energy.
Until May, it was estimated that users of Lower resources paid only 4% of the cost, and those in the middle sector paid 5%.. But as of last week’s Resolution 90/2024, users in the lowest group have subsidy coverage of 72% of the flat rate, and those in the intermediate sector 56%. That is Now they must pay 18% and 44% of the total cost, in each case.
But as anticipated, there were also changes in the consumption limits. Until last month only users in the intermediate segment (N3) had a ceiling with subsidies of 400 kWh per month, but starting this month that ceiling dropped to 250 kWh a month.
While the Lower segment users had no limits to its consumption, which From this month they will have and it will be 350 kWh per month. In both cases, if these limits are exceeded, the excess consumption must be paid at the full rate price.
In the case of Río Negro, the distributor Edersa has 222,745 registered residential users, of which two out of three are in these two most affected user segmentswith 104,000 families in the lowest segment, which is close to 47% of users.
In the city of Neuquén, CALF has 57% of its residential members in these two categories, with almost one in three households being from the lowest segment.
According to the information provided by the distributors, in the case of the city of Neuquén where the bills are higher because other items are incorporated – including the payment of a debt with Cammesa – the average consumption of residential users is below of the limit set by the Nation, and is close to 200 kWh.
But the same does not happen in Edersa, which records an average consumption for its residential users of 250 kWh, which is the limit set for the intermediate category.
This indicates that It is appropriate to review the values consumed in recent months and last winter in order to define spending reduction strategies.if it is detected that consumption exceeds the ceilings set by the Nation.
Exceptional consumption in winter for families without a gas network
According to the resolutions issued by the Nation last week, From June 1 to August 31, a special cap system will govern for electricity consumption with subsidies, but exclusively for families that do not have access to the natural gas network.
In this case, it was noted that exceptionally for consumption in June, July and August the limit per month will be raised in the case of lower-income users (N2) from the 350 kWh set to 700 kWh, that is, double.
While for users of the intermediate segment, the N3, the consumption limit with subsidy will also be double, thus reaching the 500 kWh in each of the winter months.
The measure is a clear relief for families that do not have access to the natural gas network and that register a high consumption of electrical energy for this reason, to which in the area is added the high cost at which the cylinders are obtained and even firewood.
From the Ministry of Energy of the Nation, Río Negro was informed that “A database will be sent to each of the distribution companies, cooperatives and provincial entities indicating who does and does not have a gas network.”
And it was also detailed that said sending of information will take place during this month so that distributors can carry out billings appropriately.
In the region, there were some records of similar subsidy plans financed by the municipality of Neuquén or the province of Neuquén, but based on lists of beneficiaries that were carried out locally and taking into account the particularities of each area.
