According to the Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços Energéticos (ERSE) bulletin published yesterday, the average natural gas bill paid by Portuguese households increased by more than 60% in the second half of last year. “In the second half of 2022 there was a strong increase in prices, taking into account the D1 band” – the most common consumption, up to 220 m3 per year or up to 5,560 kWh per year – “an increase of 64%” compared to compared to the same period last year. In concrete terms, a family paying 50 euros per month saw their bill rise from 32 euros to 82 euros, which means an increase of 64% according to the accounts of DN/Dinheiro Vivo.
For example, the price of a kilowatt hour (kWh) rose from 0.0955 euros in the second half of 2021 to 0.1562 euros in the second half of 2022, an increase of 0.0607 euros or 64%. Prices in Spain, in the European Union and in the Eurozone followed the same trend, but registered significantly lower increases, of 38%, 32% and 22% respectively, according to the Gas Price Comparison Bulletin – Eurostat, produced by ERSE.
Not only the growth of the natural gas price was higher than the European average, but also the final average price on the national market. For example, the average kWh charged in Portugal in the household segment was 0.1562 euros, above the average for the European Union (0.1507 euros per kWh) and the Eurozone (0.1530 euros per kWh), but below the price on the Spanish market, which stood at 0.1855 euros per kWh between July and December last year.
ERSE justifies “the price increase”, in Portugal, “during the last two semesters”, with “the increase in the price of natural gas on the main European wholesale markets”.
Regarding the fees and taxes for the most representative domestic customer in Portugal, ERSE concluded that it “has a weight of 25% of the total price paid by consumers”. In other words, a quarter of the bill that families pay is to support the burdens with the Tax on Occupancy of the Land (TOS), which municipalities charge energy suppliers, but later allocate to the end consumer, with the Special Gas Consumption Tax. Earthy. part of the taxes on petroleum and energy products (ISP) and finally with the 23% VAT, the value of which drops to 6% in the case of users with a low pressure consumption that does not exceed 10,000 m3 per year.
In its comparative analysis with data from the Statistical Office of the European Union (EU), ERSE verifies that the tax burden on natural gas is much higher in Portugal. On average in the EU, the weight of taxes and duties is 16%, nine points lower than what is applied in the national market. Also on average for the eurozone, this component represents only 17% of the final bill, eight points less than in Portugal. On the contrary, the tax burden in Spain is three points higher compared to our country, giving a weight of 28%.
Electricity also became more expensive for the Portuguese domestic consumer, but the increase in prices was much smoother compared to natural gas. In the DC consumption band, which is the most representative (annual consumption between 2500 kWh and 5000 kWh), “Portugal recorded a price increase of 2.4% compared to the same half of 2021”, according to the Price Comparison Bulletin of Electricity – Eurostat , published by ERSE.
In a similar simulation for electricity, a family with an average bill of 90 euros now pays 92.16 euros plus 2.16 euros or 2.4%. For example, the kWh rose by 0.0052 euros, from 0.2170 euros to 0.2222 euros. “This increase is lower than that observed in Spain (19%), in the Eurozone (18%) and in the European Union (21%),” says the regulatory body.
Weight of loads on light is lower than on gas
In fact, “Portugal recorded the lowest electricity prices (€0.2222 per kWh), compared to Spain (€0.3350 per kWh), the EU average (€0.2840 per kWh) and the Eurozone average (0 .2906 euros per kWh). )”, reports ERSE. According to data from the bulletin, Spain has an average price of electricity, in the most common consumption band, 50.8% above the amount charged in Portugal, in the household segment.
Regarding the share of taxes and duties: “Portugal has a weight of 16% of the total price paid by consumers, while last year the weight of this component was 46%. This represents a reduction of 30 percentage points in the weight of fees and taxes compared to 202”, ERSE concluded based on Eurostat statistics. It also means that the tax burden on electricity is lower than on natural gas (25%).
Salomé Pinto is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: DN
