Consumers in the state of Rio are paying more for electricity. The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) approved the readjustments in the tariffs of the companies Light and Enel Rio, concessionaires that provide the service in the state.
In effect since yesterday (15), the increase for low-income (residential) and commercial customers has an average correction of 15.53% and high voltage (industries) of 12.89%. The adjustment for Enel’s low voltage consumers, mostly residential customers, stood at 17.39%. For medium and high voltage customers, in general, industries and large commerce, the increase is 15.38%.
Aneel informed that, among the main items that impacted the numbers, are sector charges and energy costs. According to Light, in the adjustment, only 3.82% are related to distribution services and also to the recognition of investments made in the last five years. For comparison purposes, the IPCA [a inflação oficial do país]accumulated in the last 12 months is 10.54%.
The company highlighted that it has made constant improvements in service provision and that, in the last five years, it has invested more than R$ 4.7 billion in infrastructure and modernization. In 20212, investments were more than 60% higher than the average of the last four years. The company’s planning maintains the forecast of more resources in the modernization and expansion of the network, which, according to Light, favors customers with the reduction of interruptions in the supply and the time of replacement of energy.
Light’s Director of Energy, Commercialization and Regulation, Alessandra Amaral, said that, in 2021, the company’s energy costs suffered strong upward pressure due to the effects of water scarcity, both due to the increase in hydrological risk and the increase in the dispatch of thermoelectric plants for energy security.
“Despite facing all the complexity of the concession area, Light has one of the best quality indices, measured by the frequency and hours of interruption, among the distributors in the sector. The readjustment is essential for us to continue with the work of modernizing our system and offering an increasingly better service”, he observed.
Composition
According to Light, the electricity tariff is composed of distribution costs, which form part B of the tariff, relating to directly manageable costs, managed by the distributor itself, such as operation, maintenance and investment remuneration, which are the costs transmission and power generation. In addition, there are charges and taxes, called portion A, related to costs that are not managed by the distributor, which only acts as a collector.
The concessionaire added that the purchase of energy carried out was responsible for an increase of 5.13% due to the greater use of thermoelectric plants, added to the impacts of the high cost of fuel, exchange rate and correction for inflation.
Light serves 4.5 million customers in Rio de Janeiro and in the cities of Barra do Piraí, Barra Mansa, Belford Roxo, Carmo, Duque de Caxias, Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin, Itaguaí, Japeri, Comendador Levy Gasparian, Mendes, Mesquita, Miguel Pereira, Nilópolis, Nova Iguaçu, Paracambi, Paraíba do Sul, Paty do Alferes, Pinheiral, Piraí, Coatis, Queimados, Rio Claro, Rio das Flores, São João de Meriti, Sapucaia, Seropédica, Três Rios, Valença, Vassouras and Volta Round.
Enel
According to Enel, the readjustment process started with an expected average percentage of 29.82% and, after measures implemented by the regulator and the company, the final percentage approved by Aneel was reached of 16.86%.
“Among the efforts to reduce the readjustment, the agency approved the release of the Water Scarcity Account, a loan to the electricity sector to mitigate the effects and costs already paid for the lack of rain in the country in 2021, which drastically reduced levels of hydroelectric reservoirs in the country. Due to water scarcity, the National Electric System Operator (ONS) had to activate more thermoelectric plants and import energy from Argentina, which increased generation costs,” explained Enel.
He added that, with the portion of the readjustment he is entitled to (4.42%), he carries out the operation and maintenance of his activities and invests in the electrical energy distribution equipment in his concession area, to improve the quality of the service. In the last three years, investments exceeded R$ 2.6 billion. Also according to the company, in an account of R$ 100, R$ 21.6 are allocated to it for operation, expansion, maintenance of the energy network and for remuneration of investments.
The concessionaire serves around 2.7 million residential, commercial, industrial and public customers in the municipalities of Itaocara, Niterói, São Gonçalo, Itaboraí, Macaé, Rio das Ostras, Casimiro de Abreu, Armação dos Búzios, Cabo Frio, São Pedro D. ‘Aldeia, Arraial do Cabo, Iguaba Grande, Araruama, Rio Bonito, Waterfalls of Macacu, Saquarema, Tanguá, Maricá, Guapimirim, Teresópolis, Magé, Duque de Caxias (part), Petrópolis, Mangaratiba, Angra dos Reis, Paraty, Campos dos Goitacazes, Resende, Porciúncula, Varre Sai, Natividade, Bom Jesus do Itabapoana, Itaperuna, Laje do Muriaé, Miracema, São José do Ubá, Italva, Cambucí, Santo Antônio de Pádua, Aperibé, São Fidelis, Cardoso Moreira, São Francisco do Itabapoana , São João da Barra, Itaocara, Quissamã, São Sebastião do Alto, Santa Maria Madalena, Conceição de Macabu, Carapebus, Cantagalo, Macuco, Lamb, Duas Barras, Trajano de Moraes, Bom Jardim, Carmo, Sinidouro, Silva Jardim, São José of the Rio Preto Valley, Areal, Itatiaia, Porto Re al and part of Três Rios, Paraíba do Sul and Nova Friburgo.
