BRATISLAVA, December 10, (WEBNOVINY) — As of next year, households will pay by an average of 4.47 percent more for natural gas supplies than this year. Head of the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO) Jozef Holjencik told Friday’s news conference that the price of gas has to go up in particular due to weakening of the euro against the U.S. dollar. As of next year, the price of natural gas used for central heating will rise by an average of 6.12 percent.
Prices of heat for households are to increase by an average of six percent next year. Head of the Slovak Association of Heat Producers Miroslav Obsivany told this to SITA news agency after the head of the Regulatory Office for Network Industries reported a 6.12 percent average increase in natural gas prices for production of heat as of next year. According to Obsivany, the increase in the natural gas price will increase next year’s end prices of heat by approximately four percent. The estimated six percent increase in heating prices will be the result of the introduction of excise tax on coal and natural gas used by heating firms for the production of heat, as well as the increase in VAT rate by one percentage point.
According to head of the regulatory office Jozef Holjencik, the announced increase in natural gas prices for heat production should not have a significant negative influence on heating prices. He also opines that the 6.12 percent increase in natural gas price will reflect in an approximate four percent increase in the end price of heat. Head of the association of heat producers added that this does not automatically mean an increase in households’ annual costs. Although the prices will go up, due to the increase in the price of the commodity used for heating production, overall costs of households can be lowered by thermal insulation of buildings, added Obsivany.
The heat producers are not considering increasing the fixed component of their costs (which make up thirty percent of the total price of heat — editor’s note). The price of heat will change in particular due to the increase in variable costs (70 percent of the price), which are commodities used for heat production. The regulator assumes that it will complete the ongoing price proposal proceedings by the end of December. “We however expect a minimum movement upwards, and perhaps also downwards,” Holjencik stated.
SITA