Dear bills, when the protected market proves to be a boomerang

Dear bills, when the protected market proves to be a boomerang

In the first quarter we had crazy increases on gas and electricity bills and, at the same time, the various operators began to raise prices and offers. But are we sure we really understand everything?


He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Lights and TV, dishwasher and washing machine, and then showers, boilers and everything you need: the first three months of 2022 were marked by a huge increase in bill prices. Meanwhile, an unspecified number of calls arrive from call centers looking for new contracts. But how much do we understand? And most importantly, are you sure you have all the information we need?




All this in the light of one fact: between the protected and the free market it is not so easy to say where you can spend less. But what are the differences? What is the cheapest way to save? To explain it in detail is Milena Gabanelli who underlines a certain element: since the beginning of the year some of us have received a substantial increase in our bills, while others have not.

All this assuming that 21,6% of domestic customers do not know that it is possible to change the supplier of electricity and natural gas at any time; 20,8% mistakenly think that when changing supplier it is also necessary to replace the meter, 32,2% believe that there may be interruptions in the supply of electricity or natural gas.

What is the difference between a contract in protection service or in the free market

With the so-called protection regime, the consumer pays the same price throughout the country which is defined by the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment, Arera, every 3 months based on the trend of the financial and wholesale markets. To buy is a public company called the Single Buyer, which resells it to operators who will distribute it with a minimum profit margin. As for prices, Gabanelli specifies:

Electricity: for the second quarter of 2022, a family with 2.700 kWh of annual consumption and with 3 kW of committed power pays 41,34 cents per kWh, against 46,03 in the first quarter. In the second quarter of 2021 it was 20,83 cents. It means that the price has doubled.

Gas: for the second quarter of 2022 the cost is set at 123,62 cents per m³, against 137,32 in the first quarter. Exactly one year ago it was 73,42 cents. Here, too, families under the protection regime have to deal with a 70% increase in their bills.



In the case of free market option, the price the price is set by the company that buys and sells on the basis of its commercial strategies with significantly higher profit margins. In this context, retailers (723 and each makes its price, which can vary) can buy from large suppliers and make purchases with medium and long-term maturities.

At the moment there are around 18 million customers for electricity and 12 for gas. However, if the contract is a "fixed price", you pay what has been established regardless of how the markets go for a certain period of time. Here because those who signed this type of contract before the price increases did not see any changes.

How then to find the right offer?

What is there to know? First we should know the type of contract that we have stipulated and how much we pay per kWh (item cost for energy and divide it by the consumption invoiced), while transport costs, system charges or VAT are not to be considered because they are the same for everyone, both under the protection regime and on the free market .

But beware of misleading offers! According to the data pitted by Gabanelli, in February 2022 out of 1.224 offers for electricity 628 appear cheaper than protection services, while for gas there are 102 out of 613 offers.

But be careful: you have to read very carefully what the conditions say because the offer is more often than not deceptive. For example, cheaper rates can be provided only in exchange for the purchase of a photovoltaic system for five thousand euros.

Other surprises are hidden in the sub-clauses: a) after one year there may be a change in the rate even if at first sight the contract seems to have a fixed rate for 24 months; b) if the consumption foreseen by the "all inclusive" package is exceeded, the penalty risks being severe; c) the discount may appear significant for a limited period of time, but compared to a much higher price than that of the protection regime.



On ilportaleofferte.com/portaleOfferte/ you can evaluate the most convenient rate for your needs. What remains certain is that it will be better for us to understand more or less immediately how the system works, because from January 2023, 10 for gas and from January 2024, XNUMX for electricity, everything will be free market and the end of the protection regime will be decreed. .

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Source: Dataroom

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