BRATISLAVA, February 25, (WEBNOVINY) – Economy Minister Juraj Miskov is convinced that there exists a real possibility of reducing electricity prices in the system of regulation in the electric energy segment in Slovakia. According to him, electricity prices could be lower than last year already in the summer. The Economy Ministry told SITA that at the Thursday’s meeting with the minister, head of the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO) Jozef Holjencik admitted the possibility, too.
Minister Miskov and URSO chairman Holjencik agreed that space for price reduction might be found in the short run in the tariff for operation of the system, in revision of the estimate of connecting photovoltaic sources to the grid, in the way of purchase of green energy, as well as in revision of other subsidies for electricity generation. By the end of the year, the system of transmission and distribution charges might be revised.
Electricity prices for corporate clients in Slovakia are among the highest in the EU, according to a study of the Finance Ministry’s Financial Policy Institute. Possibilities to lower the end price are limited by fees in the segment of distribution and transmission, where there are natural monopolies: operators of the distribution grids and the national electricity transmission network operator, Slovenska Elektrizacna Prenosova Sustava, according to the study. Data of the Association of Transmission Networks in Slovakia show that the sum of transmission tariffs and other fees was the highest within the monitored countries.
Minister of Economy Juraj Miskov sees room for energy price reduction. “We believe that there is space for cuts in energy prices. We will appeal on the URSO to set such regulatory policy that would prevent monopolies from having inappropriate profits,“ said Miskov earlier this week. URSO head Holjencik however insists that it is not true, that Slovakia has the highest prices of energy. According to him, Slovakia has lower prices than is the European average in the sector of electricity and gas supplies to households. “The distribution fees are lower than the EU median as well. Only prices of electricity transmission are higher, but this is only a result of incorporating the 110 kV network in the distribution network in the privatization and not in the transmission system, as it is in the other states,” added Holjencik. According to him, minister Miskov forgot to say that the considerable increase in electricity prices for corporate clients was caused by a non-transparent setting up of the fee to the nuclear fund, or the support to electricity production from renewable sources.
SITA