As everyone waits in anticipation of utility regulator URSO’s decision on energy prices for next year, in an article today daily Hospodarske Noviny claims gas prices will go up by an average of 5.5%. Here The Daily provides you with a translation of today’s article.
National regulatory authority URSO headed by Jozef Holjenčík (Smer-SD) now knows by how much on top Slovaks will pay for their gas for next year. According to HN’s information, the price of gas should increase by five and a half percent.
The biggest hike will affect large households, with the increase hitting mostly the wallets of those who use gas not just for cooking, but also for hot water and heating. They should pay around EUR 86 more a year. Conversely, the smallest increase will concern small households i.e. those that use gas only for cooking.
Their bills will go up by around six euro per year. Medium sized households where the annual consumption of gas is about 12,000 kilowatts will pay EUR 35 more. Neither the regulatory authority nor Slovenský plynárenský priemysel were willing to comment on HN’s information, though. “We have not yet received the decision of ÚRSO on prices for the supply of gas to households for next year. That is why at this moment we will not speculate about next steps”, spokesman for the gas company Ondrej Šebesta told HN.
”We will comment on it on Monday (today),“ added the spokesman for the regulatory authority Miroslav Ľupták. The Ministry of Economy will also only comment on the increase in prices once the official standpoint of the regulatory authority is issued.
Compared with the original proposal of SPP, the increase in prices is only mild. In October the company proposed a hike in prices by almost a quarter. Its proposal was, however, swept off the table by the regulatory authority, because in Holjenčík’s opinion the proposal was unacceptable. “We are convinced that in the preparation of the price proposal we proceeded in line with the law and respective executive regulations and with the use of the most accurate economic parameters”, reacted Šebesta at the beginning of the month.
The gas company wanted to increase gas prices twice this year, in fact. In the middle of the year it filed two proposals for the price of gas to increase by about one third, but the regulatory authority only approved a seven percent increase in the end. Due to the unacknowledged price proposal, the gas company subsequently lodged fifteen lawsuits with the Regional Court in Bratislava. The first hearing on them should take place in the spring.
Other energies also more expensive
In addition to gas, people will be paying more also for other energies. For water it works out at around nine euros per year and for electricity it is six euros. Heat for the average household should increase by EUR 40 to EUR 50.