ANRE sets new natural gas, electric power and heat charges

The Administration Board of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) approved higher natural gas, electric power and heat charges, Info-Prim Neo reports. ANRE director general Victor Parlicov said the new charges were calculated on the basis of the new purchase price of gas for the first quarter of this year of US$232.8 per 1,000 cubic meters, the exchange rate of the national currency projected for 2010 – 12.53 lei per US$1, the purchase price of the power supplied by the Cuchurgan power plant of 5.83 cents per 1kWt/h and other factors. The average price of gas for 2010 was fixed at 3,542 lei per 1,000 cubic meters, without the VAT of 6%. It is by 378 lei or 13.9% higher than the current tariff of 3.166 lei per 1,000 cubic meters. For groups of consumers, the prices of gas will be as follows: - 316 lei/1,000 cubic meters, as against 2819 lei/1,000 cubic meters, for thermoelectric plants and public thermal plants, up 10.2%; - 3,574 lei/1,000 cubic meters, as opposed to 3,068 lei/1,000 cubic meters, for household consumers that use up to 30 cubic meters of gas a month, up 16.5%; - 3,992 lei/1,000 cubic meters, in contrast to 3,427 lei/1,000 cubic meters for household consumers that use more than 30 cubic meters of gas a month; - 4,192 lei/1,000 cubic meters, as against 3,568 lei/1,000 cubic meters, for the other groups of consumers, up 17.5%. The power and heat production and supply tariffs for the thermoelectric power plants (CETs) were also modified. At CET-1, the power tariff will be 1.31,84 lei/kWh, as opposed to 1.38,38 lei/kWh at present, while the heat tariff – 455.78 lei/Gcal, as against 512.05 lei/Gcal; at CET-2 - 0.96,6 lei/kWh (1.04,28 lei/kWh), and 375.72 lei/Gcal (410.44 lei/Gcal); at CET-Nord – 1.03,93 lei/kWh (1.05,56 leii/kWh), and 786 lei/Gcal (786 lei/Gcal). The power distribution companies will also apply new tariffs. RED Union Fenosa's clients that are connected to the power lines of 110kV will pay a charge of 0.95 lei/kWh, as against 0.79 lei/kWh at present. The charge for the other groups of consumers will be 1.33 lei/kWh, up 20.9%. RED Nord and RED Nord Vest will charge 1.43 lei/kWh, in contrast to 1.20 lei/kWh. ANRE raised the tariff on the heat supplied by SA Termocom from 540.83 lei/Gcal to 699 lei/Gcal, an increase of 29.2%. Earlier, this tariff was set by the Chisinau Municipal Council. Victor Parlicov said the new charges had been discussed first with all the energy companies, which presented their own calculations. The new tariffs will come into force after they are published in the Official Gazette. The last time the gas and electric power charges were modified on July 30, 2008.