Adjustment in electricity bills in MS could be the lowest in the last seven years

The negative General Price Index for the Market (IGP-M) of -4.26% in the last 12 months and the reduction in the cost of purchasing energy will contribute to the readjustment of the tariff charged by Energisa-MS being lower than what was expected by the municipality itself.

At the beginning of the year, the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) estimated an average increase of 5.6% in bills across the country.

This Tuesday, the agency decides the new amounts that the company’s 1.4 million consumers will start paying from next Monday (08).

If the percentage below Aneel’s expectations is confirmed, the increase in electricity bills for residents of 74 municipalities in Mato Grosso do Sul, including the capital, Campo Grande, should be the lowest of the last four.

Last year, the average electricity bill adjustment for the Energisa Mato Grosso do Sul area was 9.28%.

The only drop in energy prices in Mato Grosso do Sul occurred in 2017, with the Periodic Tariff Review, which resulted in a reduction of 1.92%. In 2018, the increase was 10.65%; 2019 12.39%; 2020 of 6.9%; and 2021 of 8.90%, and in 2022 the largest adjustment: 18.16%.

In a document available on the Aneel website, dated March 27, it is stated that the “reduction in the average effect” went from -1.35% to -1.61%, “especially affected by Component Q of Factor ) and the official IGP-M index (General Price Index – Market) for March/24”. These are two of the several items that go into the calculation.

Translated: the IGP-M, the index that serves as a reference for the Energisa-MS contract, is negative: it registered a variation of -0.47% in March and -0.52% in February. With this result, it accumulates a drop of -0.91% in the year and -4.26% in the last 12 months.

Furthermore, there is also a possible indication of a reduction in the cost basket, which could also weigh down on the electricity bill.

A guideline that the variation in the new tariff will be lower than expected by Aneel is the public consultation open to Amazonas Energia, which will charge a new tariff from May 26th.

The average effect of the reduction will be -0.37%. For consumers served at high voltage, the predicted average effect is -3.55%, while for low voltage consumers there will be a predicted increase of 1.04%.

On the other hand, the subsidy for several other modalities, such as the social energy tariff and also the subsidy for distributed generation (residential solar energy) can influence this pendulum towards tariff adjustment.

At the Energisa MS Concession Area Consumer Council (Concen), the expectation is that the variation will not exceed 1 digit.

Rosimeire Costa, president of Concen-MS, also details other aspects that contribute to positive expectations this year.

“We have the balance of the refund of the Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS) from Pis/Cofins. So, we still have around R$5 billion for Mato Grosso do Sul that is being returned with the expectation that it will occur over five years”, he explains.

She clarifies that the annual repositioning is a correction to the energy that was purchased, since it already takes place during the Periodic Tariff Review (RTP) and the concessionaire has the task of planning for the next five years.

“In annual cases we only correct the IGP-M indices”, he states.

As provided for by law, funds unduly charged are being returned to consumers at the time of tariff adjustments and reviews.

SUBSIDIES

According to the National Electric Energy Agency, subsidies are one of the items that have been weighing heavily on consumer bills.

In 2024 alone, Brazilians will pay R$37 billion in charges on energy tariffs, which represents 12.5% ​​of the country’s electricity bill.

The amounts are allocated to the Energy Development Account, created to encourage public policies in the energy sector.

Subsidies, which are approved by the National Congress, have more than doubled since 2017, when the impact on the tariff was R$16 billion.

“Agent is in this fight, in this flag, daily fighting with the government that the electricity consumer cannot pay for these subsidies”, he concludes

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