The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) kept the green flag in September for all consumers connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN). With the decision, there will be no extra charge on the electricity bill for the sixth month in a row.
The electricity bill has been without these fees since the end of the water scarcity flag, which lasted from September 2021 to mid-April this year. According to Aneel, at the time, the green flag was chosen due to the favorable conditions for generating energy.
If there were the institution of other flags, the electricity bill would reflect the readjustment of up to 64% of tariff flags approved at the end of June by Aneel. According to the agency, the increases reflected inflation and the higher cost of thermoelectric plants this year, due to the rise in oil and natural gas prices in recent months.
Tariff Flags
Created in 2015 by Aneel, the tariff flags reflect the variable costs of generating electricity. Divided into levels, the flags indicate how much it is costing the SIN to generate the energy used in homes, commercial establishments and industries.
When the electricity bill is calculated by the green flag, it means that the bill is not increased. When the red or yellow flags are applied, the bill is increased, ranging from BRL 2,989 (yellow flag) to BRL 9,795 (red flag level 2) for every 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) consumed. When the water scarcity flag came into force, from September 2021 to April 15 this year, consumers paid an extra R$14.20 for every 100 kWh.
The National Interconnected System (SIN) is divided into four subsystems: Southeast/Midwest, South, Northeast and North. Virtually the entire country is covered by the SIN. The exception is some parts of states in the North Region and Mato Grosso, in addition to the entire state of Roraima. Currently, there are 212 isolated locations in the SIN, where consumption is low and represents less than 1% of the country’s total load. The demand for energy in these regions is mainly supplied by diesel-powered thermal plants.
