Prices of electricity for households in the Czech Republic will rise by 3.4 percent on average next year, Energy Regulatory Office (ERU) chairwoman Alena Vitaskova said at a press conference today.
Electricity prices for small businesses will increase by 4.3 percent. Prices for large companies will go up by between 6 and 6.6 percent. According to the ERU, the prices are affected mainly by last year´s boom of solar power plants and a growth of output of biogas stations and biomass combustion sources. The biggest price hike will be made by power utility CEZ, which is going to raise electricity prices by 4.9 percent on average next year.
Prazska energetika (PRE) is to increase prices by 3.6 percent, and E.ON, operating mainly in southern Bohemia and southern Moravia, is to raise prices by 0.6 percent on average. The companies are to publish their pricelists for next year at the end of this year. CEZ clients with the basic tariff and average consumption will pay about Kc450 more for electricity. PRE clients will pay
Kc156 more. E.ON clients will, on the other hand, save Kc240.
The government has earmarked Kc11.7bn to restrict the influence of renewable sources on electricity prices for next year, the same amount as last year.
Renewable sources will nevertheless continue influencing electricity prices in the following years as well, Vitaskova said. A significant influence on prices for consumers will also come from this year´s growth of prices on the wholesale market. The price hike came after Germany´s decision to close all its nuclear power plants in the following years.
Between October 2010 and September 2011, the average price of electricity on the domestic market grew by about 10 percent.
The regulated part of the price of electricity for households, which makes up about a half of the total price, will increase by 0.5 percent next year. The non-regulated part of the price, which depends on development on the market, will grow by 7.3 percent on average, the ERU said.
Regulated prices connected with gas supplies, making up about one fifth of the total price, will fall in 2012. The price for gas transport is to drop by 9.7 percent and the price for gas distribution by 2.9 percent. The non-regulated part of the price has been, however, raised markedly by gas companies this year. ERU also expects heat prices to grow by about 6 percent next year. The main influence is to come from more expensive fuel and a planned VAT rise.