Consumers who receive the benefit of the Electric Energy Social Tariff will have the green flag in March. With this, there will be no increase in the beneficiary’s electricity bill. The decision was announced today (25) by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel). For other users, however, the Water Scarcity banner remains in effect, in the amount of R$ 14.20 for every 100 kWh consumed.
According to the government, this extra amount was needed to cover energy costs, which became more expensive as a result of facing the period of scarcity of water resources, in 2021, the worst in 91 years. The Water Scarcity flag remains in effect until April 2022.
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, believes that as of April, the Water Scarcity flag will no longer be applied. “We believe that [a bandeira Escassez Hídrica] will not be needed from April. [Ela] was used to pay the additional cost of generating energy. As we didn’t have water to generate our hydroelectric plants, we had to hire energy abroad, from Argentina, Uruguay, and we had to use our thermoelectric plants, which are more expensive, because of oil, oil, because of gas ”.