Gas and electricity accounts for the blow: 417 euros per year. The government puts pressure on the EU: “Go ahead with the price ceiling”

MILAN. With the conflict that broke out in Israel and the stop to the Finland-Estonia gas pipeline brings the high energy nightmare back to Italy. The effects will soon be seen on bills and according to consumer accounts and the upward trend could cost up to +417 euros per family. This was stated by Assoutenti, who today released some simulations on the effects of international energy prices on families’ pockets. Meanwhile, politics is also moving: «Tomorrow I’m going to Luxembourg for the Environment Council (of the EU, ed.). The price cap on gas expires in December, I will ask that it be renewed for a year” said the Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto, at the Foglio Festival of Optimism in Florence.

«In just one week the price of gas on international markets increased by around 40%, going from 38 euros per megawatt hour on Friday 6 October to over 53 euros on Friday 13 October – analyzes Assoutenti -. An increase which, if transferred directly to the bill through an increase in tariffs for the “raw material supply” item, would be equivalent for gas on the protected market to an increase of +247 euros per year per family (assuming constant prices), leading thus the gas bill from the current 1,327 euros to 1,574 euros. For electricity, an identical increase in the costs of supplying the raw material energy would increase the average annual bill from the current 764 euros to 934 euros, with a greater expense of +170 euros per year. Between electricity and gas.” According to the accounts, it would therefore be a total blow of +417 euros per year per nucleus.

According to the analysis, in the case of a more limited increase in the costs for the supply of raw materials, assuming an increase of +25% for this item, the repercussions on the gas bill of the protected market would be equal to +154 euros per year per family (with an average bill of 1,481 euros per year), while the greatest expense for electricity would be +107 euros per household (average bill of 871 euros), for a total of +261 euros per year per family.

Not only. As a consequence of the situation in Israel and the tensions regarding energy prices, on the free market supplier companies could soon change the contractual conditions also for fixed price offers, communicating sudden tariff increases to their customers. For variable price offers, however, the economic conditions are already linked to market trends, so price increases will be inevitable.

Petrol and diesel
«To all this is added the risk of new surges also for fuel prices – observes president Furio Truzzi -. In recent days, prices at the pump have shown a downward trend, but the sudden rise in oil prices in the last few hours as a direct effect of the war in Israel could soon be passed on to distributors: remember that every euro cent increase in prices per liter of petrol and diesel corresponds to an increase in expenditure of 0.5 euros per full tank, almost 40 million euros more per month for families just for the refueling costs in the hypothesis of two full tanks per month per car, and without counting the repercussions on the price lists of transported products.

«Europe must intervene to avoid the escalation of energy prices and block any speculation on the markets in the bud – continues Truzzi – The storages are full and the gas is already purchased at sales prices well below the records recorded in the past, therefore any sudden increase in tariffs would be incomprehensible: Arera must therefore monitor with the utmost attention to avoid speculative phenomena to the detriment of consumers. A surge in gas prices in the winter months would set Italy back two years, with enormous repercussions for families and businesses, skyrocketing inflation and billions in damage to our economy.”