The National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas) approved the transition rate tables for the nine distributors and the two transporters that will come into force on March 1, with a 20% increase for residential users and 15% for SMEs.
The measure complements Decree 91/2022 and was reflected in eleven resolutions published this Friday in a special supplement to the Official Gazette.
In this way, the process initiated with the public hearings on January 19 and 31, in which the proposals of the operating companies were analyzed, is completed. The annexes to the resolutions specify the fixed charges and charges for consumption in each category of user and subzone.
In the impact on bills, four factors are taken into account: the price of gas at the wellhead, transportation, distribution and the tax burden, made up of national and provincial taxes and municipal fees and contributions.
Resolutions 59/2022 to 70/2022 include the transition rate schedules for Transportadora de Gas del Norte (TGN), Transportadora de Gas del Sur (TGS), Gasnor, Distribuidora de Gas Cuyana, Naturgy Ban, Camuzzi Gas Pampeana, Gas Nea , Litoral Gas, Camuzzi Gas del Sur, Metrogas and Distribuidora de Gas del Centro.
In a statement, Enargas indicated that the rate charts have an impact on bills that “average 20% for users and residential users of gas service through networks at the national level.”
On the other hand, “for users of the general service P (SMEs and businesses) the adequacy is around -also on average- 15%”, so “the average update between these two categories will be around 17%”, he pointed.
The body intervened by Federico Bernal specified that the share of the average gas bill will be 4.05% of the Minimum Vital and Mobile Salary (SMVM) projected for 2022.
In a statement, Enargas indicated that the rate charts have an impact on bills that “average 20% for users and residential users of gas service through networks at the national level.”
“This means about 6 percentage points less than the historical maximum registered in April 2019, when the weight of the average gas bill implied 10.6% over the SMVM,” he added, in addition to noting that it will be “even below that of October 2016”, when it was 4.2%.
Enargas recalled that by Law 27,637 on the Expansion of the Cold Zone Regime, “35% of residential users (3.1 million users or more than 10 million people) will register this year a discount of 28% on the bill of 2022” even after the 20% increase.
Decree 91/2022 published on February 23 authorized increases of 36% in the value of gas in the portion corresponding to distributors, and 60% for transporters as of March.
“With the ratification of the Agreements and the Addendums, Enargas is enabled to issue transitory transport and distribution tariff charts that will imply an update of 15% in SMEs and 20% in Residential national average,” the agency had indicated.
In the hearing of last January 31, the Undersecretary of Hydrocarbons, Maggie Videla, indicated that, if the 2021 rates were maintained, an additional disbursement of $81,000 million would be required for this year, since the State covers 70.9% of the total cost of the priority demand
Official sources and sources from the energy sector warned that this increase will not be reflected in the bills in a uniform manner, since in some cases the period of consumption could include days prior to the validity of the increases.
In the impact on bills, four factors are taken into account: the price of gas at the wellhead, transportation, distribution and the tax burden, which in turn consists of national and provincial taxes and municipal fees and contributions.
The rate adjustments that result from the combination of these four factors will be applied after a virtual freeze of almost three years, a period in which there was only a 6% increase in May 2021.
The increase will not be reflected in the invoices in a uniform way, since in some cases the period of consumption could include days prior to the validity of the increases.
As the evolution of the rate did not accompany inflation or cost variations, the State had to cover the difference through an increase in subsidies.
In this regard, at the hearing on January 31, the Undersecretary of Hydrocarbons, Maggie Videla, indicated that, if the 2021 rates were maintained, an additional disbursement of $81,000 million would be required for this year, since the State covers 70 .9% of the total cost of the priority claim.
According to estimates by the Undersecretariat, this 70.9% would represent a total amount of $216,365 million this year, and since the Budget project that was not approved assigned an item of $135 billion, an additional expenditure of $135,000 would be needed. 81 billion.
