Only 15,000 homes and 5,500 community boilers have taken advantage of the Government’s electricity and gas aid to get through the winter

2023-04-17 21:26:09

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, announced in mid-October a A series of grants to lower the gas and electricity bill of the consumers Spanish people in fear of a energy price spike during winter. And despite the fact that the worst of the price scenarios did not occur, already in the spring only 15,000 households have requested the 40% discount on the electricity billof the 1.5 million initially estimated, and only 5,500 community boiler owners have gone to the subsidized gas rate (TUR), of the 1.6 million planned, according to data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

“Lo important is that the Government has put on the table a protection mechanism“, has defended the Secretary of State for Energy, Sara Aagesen, this Monday during the presentation of the balance on energy consumption in winter. It has had better performance, in the case of gas, the subsidized rate (TUR) for the set of householdswhich managed to capture an additional 1.1 million users since its launch, up to total of 2.6 million.

This helps the gas billin force since October, is maintained until the end of the year, but the Government does not anticipate that there will be many variations in the number of recipients since winter has already passed. The subsidized rate supposes a average savings for homes with domestic hot water and heating of 31%according to the calculations of the ministry commanded by the vice president Teresa Ribera. There are still around 5.5 million customers who have a contract in the free market.

On the other hand, the Executive designed a 40% discount on the electricity bill for regulated rate users (PVPC) that he calculated in about 3,000 million euros and that he intended to reach the working middle class affected by the skyrocketing prices after the war in Ukraine but who could not access the social bonus. These are households with income limits between 17,000 and 28,000 euros per year, depending on the number of members. But despite the fact that it was expected to reach 1.5 million beneficiaries, it barely reached 15,000.

However, the Government defends that the electricity consumers in the regulated market (PVPC) They have saved 30% on their bills, thanks to measures such as the so-called cap on gas.

Bono social

In all, the applicants for the social bonus of the electricity amount to 1.4 million, against the objective of reaching 1.9 million announced by Sánchez. This mechanism involves a reduction in the electricity bill, which originally was between 25% and 40%, depending on whether the consumer considers himself vulnerable o vulnerable severo, but which rose in October 2021 to between 60% and 85%. It is paid by the electricity companies and can only be requested if you have a regulated rate (PVPC).

Specifically, of the total number of consumers, around 649,000 are vulnerable and 717,000 are severe vulnerable. In March these users have paid between 67% and 75% less than before the war.

Nearly 20% of the beneficiaries classified as vulnerable are large families who receive aid regardless of their income. The third vice president and minister for the Ecological Transition, Teresa Riberaannounced changes in mid-March to impose criteria that cap aid based on income, such as for rest of householdsafter it came to light that the Madrid vice president, Enrique Ossoriois a recipient of this subsidy, but from the Government they recognize that they still They are studying the formula. “We continue to work because it is important to do it well. We work in various scenarios to protect all types of families,” Aagesen said.

decrease in consumption

Regarding the evolution of energy consumptionSpain acquired a voluntary commitment with the rest of the countries of the European Union to reduce 15% of their gas consumption from August 1 to March 31. According to the calculations of this medium, from the Data of enagas, operator of the gas market, the reduction in consumption has been 11%. In this calculation are included exports, which increased both to France, due to the nuclear shutdown, and to Portugal, due to the drought. In the first case, sales from Spain totaled 9.4 terawatt-hours (TWh), compared to average imports of 3.9 TWh in the same period of the last five years. In the second, exports reached 3.8 TWh.

Without the S exports, the demand for gas has been reduced by 21%, according to the Government. If one takes into account the import balance of the previous five years, the reduction in demand amounts to 23%. On the other hand, regarding the commitment to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours –the 10% with the highest demand– a decrease of 9.8% has been achieved in the period.