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29 September 2020 After the sharp drops in the second quarter of 2020 (-18.3% for electricity and -13.5% for gas), which continued in the third quarter for gas (-6.7%), with a slight increase for electricity (+ 3.3%), with the strengthening of the recovery of economic activities and consumption comes the 'rebound' for energy prices which are returning to levels close to those pre-Covid.
This was announced by Arera, the Regulatory Authority for energy, networks and the environment.
For the typical family under protection, the strong growth in prices on wholesale markets leads to an increase in the electricity bill of + 15.6% and for the gas bill of + 11.4%, a figure which is also linked to the usual seasonality with the relative growth in demand.
As regards the effects on consumers (before taxes), in 2020 the typical household benefits from an overall saving of approximately 207 euros / year compared to 2019.
In detail, for electricity, the expenditure in 2020 for the typical family will be around 485 euros, with a variation of -13.2% compared to 2019, corresponding to a saving of around 74 euros / year.
In the same period, the typical household's expenditure for the gas bill will be around 975 euros, with a variation of -12% compared to the 12 months of the previous year, corresponding to a saving of around 133 euros / year.
After the collapse of prices recorded in the wholesale energy markets in the most acute phase of the Covid emergency, reports Arera, the recovery in energy consumption, which confirms the restart of the economy in Italy and Europe, has therefore led to a gradual rise in prices.
The overall effect is particularly marked in the natural gas and CO2 markets and is consequently reflected also in the electricity market.
In fact, in the third quarter of 2020 the Single National Price (PUN) of electricity was equal to approximately 42 euros / megawatt hour, compared to 25 euros / MWh in the second quarter, with an increase of approximately 70%.
In particular, last August, the PUN recorded an average value of 40.32 euros / MWh, which in September should be around 49 euros / MWh, or the level of a year ago.
Forward markets indicate that current price levels will be maintained for the fourth quarter of the year.
As for gas, the forward price recorded in the wholesale market and used for the updating of the protection (the TTF) for the fourth quarter of 2020 is up by 96% compared to the previous quarter, reflecting both the seasonality of consumption and the improvement of economic expectations.
In detail of the individual components in the bill, continues Arera, the increase in electricity is exclusively linked to the rise in the material energy component, with an impact of + 15.6% on the final price of the typical family, which can be broken down into +17.6 % due to the energy item (PE) and -2% linked to the dispatching item (PD).
Overall, the general charges and the regulated network tariffs (transmission, distribution and metering) remained unchanged.
For natural gas, the trend is determined by an increase in the raw material component (with an impact of + 12.1% on the final price of the typical family), linked to the prices expected on the wholesale markets in the next quarter, partially offset a decrease in the equalization components of the regulated transport and meter management tariffs (with an impact of -0.7% on the final price).
General charges stable.
This leads to + 11.4% for the typical protected user.
"The energy system is gradually resuming the positions it had before the Covid emergency" said the President of Arera, Stefano Besseghini.
"With the resumption of production activities and the consequent increase in energy demand, the foreseeable rise in prices is taking place throughout Europe. The general picture will also be influenced, in the coming months, by the choices that will accompany the Recovery Fund, in particular for support for future renewable sources, which today would fall on the bill ", he concludes.
Coldiretti: expensive bills weighs on companies in crisis covid
The increase in energy tariffs weighs on household accounts but also on business costs and makes production and marketing more expensive in a situation strongly conditioned by the Covid emergency.
This is what Coldiretti says in commenting on the increases in light and gas that will start from October 1st.
The increase in energy expenditure has a double negative effect because - underlines Coldiretti - it reduces the purchasing power of citizens and families, but it also increases the costs of companies that are particularly significant for agri-food with the arrival of autumn.
The cost of energy - continues Coldiretti - is in fact reflected throughout the supply chain and concerns both agricultural activities but also processing and distribution.
The food consumption of Italians dropped by 10% in 2020 due to the collapse of the catering channel which is not offset by the slight increase in domestic spending, according to Coldiretti's analysis of Ismea data.
The spending on food by Italians has gone back ten years to 2010 values and to weigh - concludes Coldiretti - is the crisis of the restaurant where the increase in bills aggravates a situation of suffering due to economic difficulties, smart working , the distrust of consumers and the collapse of tourism.