Energy rates: despite measures, 9 companies reported increases – Sectors – Economy

In 2022, the discharges energy rates It was one of the main headaches that Colombians had. By August, they had already risen 25.9 percent annually, according to the Dane.

For this reason, with the government of the President Gustavo PetroIn September, a series of measures were announced that ended the renegotiation of bilateral contracts -more than 80 companies accepted- and the modification of the indexer for updating the transmission and distribution components.

(Read also: They prepare another proposal for regular energy rates in Barranquilla and the region)

In this way, it was prepared not only to stop the upward trend that began in October 2021, but also a national average rate reduction of 1.2 percent between August and December 2022.

However, when reviewing the figures for each company, a different picture is found. For example, with 7.3 percent, Celsia Tolima was the company that had the greatest reduction for users who attend this department.

The company highlighted that this decrease seen by its clients is due to the sum of the efforts of most of the companies in the sector, in particular, generators, transporters and distributors.

(Of interest: Fuel production in the country at risk due to blockades in Magdalena Medio).

He also said that Celsia, as a generator, granted tariff discounts to other energy distributors, especially on the Atlantic Coast, so that they could also benefit their clients. This despite the fact that for the company the costs of electrical equipment, wiring, poles and personnel have had an increase well above inflation in recent months.

After Celsia are Empresa de Energía del Putumayo (-7.2 percent), Energuaviare (-6.1 percent), Empresa de Energía del Bajo Putumayo (-4.2 percent) and Emcali (-3, 7 percent).

On the contrary, and contrary to what the National Government was looking for, Nine companies reported increases in their rates between August and December. According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Ruitoque –which serves users from different municipalities of Santander– was the company that had the highest increase, of 4 percent.

Also on the list are Electrohuila (3.8 percent), Enelar (3.2 percent), Electrocaquetá (2.0 percent), Enel Colombia (1.7 percent)Enerca (0.9 percent), Chec (0.4 percent), Essa (0.3 percent) and the Pereira Energy Company (0.1 percent).

Enel assured EL TIEMPO that the increase in its rates is due, in part, to to the high costs that have been registered in the productive chain of the electrical sector as a result of the inflationary pressure that is being experienced worldwide, in addition to the cost transfers that were being made gradually (rate option), since during the pandemic companies were prohibited from raising rates.

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Another point that the company highlighted was that this variation is less when compared to the increase in inflation for these months: 3.73 percent. «The rates calculated and applied by Enel Colombia have been, throughout the year, among the lowest nationwide,» he added.

is not sufficient

The Ministry of Mines and Energy recognizes that the measures taken last year are still insufficient to generate the impact that users need. For this reason, it continues to evaluate complementary measures.

He also expressed his concern regarding the behavior that the cost of energy generation has been registering. «Although more than 700 contracts were negotiated in relation to the inflationary effect of the IPP (producer price index), This effort has not been reflected in the price paid by usersbecause a component that affects this variable is the formation of stock prices,» said the entity.

In 2021 and 2022, despite being periods with high water contributions, the daily costs in the Energy Market were at summer prices, that is, of times in which thermal generation must be used -which is more expensive than hydroelectric- they even came to be 685 pesos per kilowatt hour in February 2022.

Given this, the ministry is working with Superservicios «to monitor and control the agents in the chain, so that they can take action for such price behaviors that do not respond to the water reality.» In the meantime, the ministry will identify the regulatory changes that need to be made.

(Also read: Why don’t full reservoirs lower electricity rates?)

Other measures

The Ministry of Mines and Energy will also implement additional measures that will reduce the cost of the loss component for the users in the Caribbean regionwho have been the most affected by the high prices of electricity.

«We continue to hold meetings with companies to work on alternatives that maintain the investment levels necessary to continue improving the quality of service in the Caribbean, but with rates that are more in line with the economic reality of the region,» the entity excluded.

Regarding the transmission component, the regulatory agenda with the Energy and Gas Regulation Commission (Creg) will seek to propose a new transmission methodology«which requires a review of this component to seek tariff justice».

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Likewise, taking advantage of the fact that in 2023 the Creg has on its agenda to define the transmission and commercialization tariff methodologies, «it will be a valuable opportunity to take more structural measures with respect to said activities.»

Finally, the ministry is leading the analysis and study to define a new industry indexer. This is being done through permanent tables together with the Dane, the Banco de la República and the Creg.

«The purpose is to adopt a less volatile indexer than the current one, which guaranteed a healthier balance between companiesthat they must be economically viable and, the demand, that they are the users and that they are the only source of resources of the sector, whose economic burden, in not a few cases, we recognize as excessive”, he added.