Who wouldn’t suffer from the increases (at least for now).

Expensive bills don’t give you any respite. according to data Provided by the Energy Authority Arira, electricity in the first quarter of 2022 recorded an increase of 131% compared to the first three months of 2021. Natural gas is not better: +94%. To counter the increases and try to contain prices Invoicesbut also to develop a broader energy strategy, based on promoting renewable energy sources on the one hand and increasing national gas production on the other hand, the government launched a new plan decree With measures to support families and businesses, in addition to the 9.5 billion euros that have already been allocated in recent months to tackle rising energy prices.

Specifically, these are the interventions that cover until the end of the second quarter of this year, and thus until the end of June. The measures are similar to those for the first three months of 2022, with a slightly higher allocation of about 5.8 billion euros. Briefly:

• With 3 billion system fees on electricity will be eliminated, both for local users and for small and large businesses;
• With 590 million, on the other hand, the value-added tax on gas will be reduced to 5%, which will also benefit from a reduction in fees by another 480 million;
• 500 million will be allocated to enhance the social reward for 3.5 million families. The discount on the electricity, gas and water bill is provided to families in economic hardship and to large families;
• 700 million were allocated for tax relief in favor of energy-intensive companies, which have already been tested in the Sostegni-ter Decree;
• The same type of concession is granted to gas-intensive companies, about a thousand, more than 500 million are allocated to them;
• An additional chapter concerns local authorities: to maintain hospitals, the regions will be able to count on 400 million euros, while to ensure “continuity of services”, municipalities will have another 300 million.

Despite new measures by the Draghi government to combat high bills, in the first half of 2022, households and companies will still have to bear a total increase of 33.7 billion euros in their bills, according to the Appreciation From the CGIA study office in Mestre (Venice). Compared to 2019, the CGIA calculated an increase in the cost of electricity and gas by 44.8 billion for the first half of 2022, of which 15.4 for households and 29.4 for businesses. If we cancel the resources introduced by the 2022 Budget Law (3.8 billion), by the decree of January 21 (1.7 billion) and the recent approval of 5.6 billion of the total increase, the additional cost of payment remains 33., 7 billion: 8.9 on the shoulders of families and 24.9 on corporate shoulders.

The difference between customers with greater protection and free market

Estimated Face.it, the interest to consumers already in January-March 2022, on the electricity bill alone, is just under €10 per month, for a total of about €28 less in the first quarter. The increases primarily affect consumers under the Enhanced Protection Scheme, which guarantees the consumer the supply of electricity and gas on economic and contractual terms set by the Energy, Networks and Environment Regulatory Authority (Arrera). In this case, the prices are subject to a periodic change every three months to be decided by the Authority. As tariffs continue to rise, it is the protected customers that suffer the most from rising energy prices.

Duty free customers are also affected by increases (in this case the supplier can set their price which can be set for a year or two). Supplies with variable energy prices are subject to increases very similar to those affecting customers in the enhanced protection market. However, at least for now, only customers who have opted for a fixed-rate tariff plan, activated before the emergency, are protected from price hikes. In fact, the prohibited price is an advantage for the consumer in the event that Arera tariffs tend to rise as they are now. For this reason, at least until the end of the promotional period, those who opted for the frozen tariff in the free market will not be affected by the increase in wholesale energy prices. But how long will it last?