“Outraged and deeply disappointed,” they stated from the Federation of Business Entities of Río Negro (Feern), in rejecting the authorization of the provincial government, through the EPRE, the increase in the rate schedule from the distributor Edersa that will have an approximate impact of 8.5% on the electricity bill of its users. “It puts the continuity of commercial and industrial activities at serious risk,” they warned.
The authorization of “the excessive rate increases for the Río Negro SA Energy Company (EDERSA)” and added to “the recent increases approved by the national governmentwill make the month of July absolutely unsustainable for thousands of SMEs, clubs and homes,” they warned.
In the statement, Feern denounced “the abusive and exorbitant increases in the settlement of public services issued by the company Edersa for the period of May 2024. These increases, granted during the last year, are a slap in the face to users and put the continuity of commercial and industrial activities in our province at serious risk.
They detailed that «It is unacceptable that an energy rate 14% higher than the price of the wholesale electricity market is imposed on us, in flagrant violation of the pass-through mechanism established in article 41 of Regulatory Decree 1,291/1995 of Law 2902 of the Rio Negro Electrical Regulatory Framework.
The increases reach “800% in the last 12 months” and they report that electricity bills are “among the highest in the country”
The Federation of Business Entities of Río Negro (Feern) also maintains that “the increases in the Network Use Charge are disproportionate and confiscatory, exceeding 300% in the first months of 2024 and reaching 800% in the last 12 months.
They explain that “these increases are neither fair nor reasonable and are the product of arbitrary decisions by the granting power. Besides, We denounce the lack of compliance with the deadlines for receipt of the invoice and the due date, which are less than the 10 days established by current regulations. This practice of retroactive billing and advancing due dates is a mockery to users and must be rectified immediately.
They also warned that «In our province, electricity bills are among the highest in the country. We are facing a tragic situation where the economic viability of our companies and the well-being of our families are in serious danger. “The fees imposed are not only unfair, but also demonstrate a complete lack of consideration for the devastating impact they will have on the community.”
They advanced that «we are going to pay under protest, making express reservation of our rights. “We will not passively accept this unconscionable burden and will continue to fight for fair and reasonable rates.”
Besides, They demanded the immediate review of the increases published in the Official Gazette of the province of Río Negro on June 10 and “its retraction.”
«It is essential to consider that numerous jobs are at stake and that these actions generate a lack of legal security for those of us who choose to produce in Río Negro,” they concluded.
