Necochea keeps the cold zone in the gas

Sharing is caring!

Congress excluded the fund that financed discounts for cold zones from the adjustment requested by Javier Milei in the Bases Law. Gas subsidies are maintained.

Although the government of Javier Milei pressed to repeal law 27,637 in the reform package of the Base Law, the modifications made in the Senate sustained the Cold Zone Regime that benefits gas users in 77 municipalities in the province of Buenos Aires.

In the midst of the increases in gas and electricity rates advanced by the Buenos Aires Undersecretary of Energy, Gastón Ghioni, the Trust Fund for Residential Gas Consumption Subsidies was exempt from the eliminations of trust funds carried out by President Javier Milei.

According to the director of the Federal Consensus Institute, Alejandro “Topo” Rodríguez, in 2024 the Fund, which is financed mostly with contributions from all users, will allow discounts to be applied to residential gas rates and maintain a surplus of at least 60,000 million pesos, and could even exceed 80,000 million. “This is a reasonable, fair and sustainable public policy,” said the former National Deputy.

The National Government was awaiting the determination of Congress to end the trust funds. In fact, part of the surplus that Javier Milei held was generated by their illegal retention, as is the case of the fund for cold areas. As INFOCIELO reported, Luis Caputo had to transfer to the gas distribution companies the contribution that residential users had already made, but until last month he had not yet done so.

It is worth remembering that after the increases announced by the National Government, gas rates will be as follows for the province of Buenos Aires:

N1 (high income): The average increase will be 299%
A residential user in category R31 will go from paying 11,285 pesos to $46,449, while in Metrogas the average bill will go from 13,677 to $56,467.
N2 (low income): The average increase will be 604%
A residential user in category R31 will go from paying 4,896 pesos to $39,661, while in Metrogas the average bill will go from 6,813 to $49,610.
N3 (average income): The average increase will be 367%
A residential user in category R31 will go from paying 8,736 pesos to $40,615, while in Metrogas the average bill will go from 10,721 to $50,574.

What is the Cold Zone regime and which municipalities does it benefit?

Since the expansion of the cold zone that was determined in law 27,637, There are 77 municipalities and 90 Buenos Aires towns declared “cold zone”. That is, their excess consumption is recognized and subsidized due to the low temperatures that the region reaches during the winter. The benefit extends to the other Patagonian provinces.

The municipalities declared “cold zone” are: