The natural gas bill for EDP Comercial’s residential customers will increase by an average of 30 euros from October. The information was provided by the company to Lusa yesterday, justifying the measure with the price increases in the international markets and also with the fact that it had not made an update of natural gas values for a year.
Vera Pinto Pereira, the executive chairman of EDP Comercial, stated that the increase of 30 euros in the bill for residential customers will also be added with “five to seven euros in fees and taxes”.
Thus, for two-thirds of the 650 thousand residential customers (about 433 300), who represent the lowest consumption, the increase in the gas price will have an average impact of 18 euros per month, before taxes and taxes, ie the increase will be around 22 be euros.
In this universe of residential EDP Comercial customers, there are also 21 thousand with social rates, who will also feel the impact of this increase.
Galp confirmed to DN/Dinheiro Vivo that it will also make an increase in the same month, although it does not specify the value of the increase. The information will be released shortly, the company clarified.
On behalf of EDP, Vera Pinto Pereira explains that despite the circumstances – the increase in gas prices and the restrictions on the supply of Russian gas – EDP maintained the pricing conditions for residential end customers. Now, a year later, “this update has become inevitable”. “The gas price set 12 months ago, without any change over the course of a year, was very important, even relative to other market offers, because it allowed us to have some savings, but a year later, taking into account the new context – we don’t produce gas, we have to buy it on the market – we have to endure this [a subida nos mercados grossistas]’ emphasizes the official.
A similar justification is given by the company headed by Andy Brown. “Given the volatility of the market and the respective increase in gas costs, Galp confirms that it will increase gas prices in October by an amount to be announced shortly,” the energy company confirmed to DN/DV.
Contrary to usual practice, the increase envisaged by EDP will not be valid for the whole year this time and will be reassessed in three months’ time. At that point, depending on the market trend, the price could go up or down, warns Vera Pinto Pereira, stressing that EDP is “doing everything it can to make the adjustment downwards.”
To explain the situation, the company sent letters to customers, which the official hopes “understand that EDP gains nothing from this situation”. “Our main concern is the end customer and the Portuguese families and therefore we will try to reverse this as soon as possible,” he emphasized.
Asked about the possibility of losing customers to the competition, the executive president said, “The market is free, so I think that’s part of it.” The official also explains to Lusa that the company has indicated that customers who have difficulty paying bills can request phased payment plans.
Since the last update of EDP Comercial, for the year ended September 30, which had an impact of 6 to 19 cents on household bills, the price of that commodity in wholesale markets has risen 1000%.
In June, the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) announced that natural gas prices for consumers in the regulated market will also rise in October. Here the value grows by 3.9% compared to September. For the year 2022-2023, the increase compared to the previous year (2021-2022) is 8.2%.
At the end of Wednesday evening, the government announced that the Ministry of the Environment will present measures this Thursday for consumers to “mitigate” gas increases. According to Lusa, citing an official source for the executive, these are solutions that are the result of collaboration with ERSE.
Mónica Costa is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: DN
