The calculation of electricity consumption, every month, for all categories of watchesfrom the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE), announced the Minister of Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis.

In particular, he explained that this practice will be implemented from the first months of 2024. DEDDIE “…has the staff to count electricity consumption every month and there is a reason we do it. In this way, we will reduce rheumatic thefts,” said Mr. Skylakakis, speaking to ANT1, underlining that he has the assurance of DEDDIE for the implementation of this initiative.

Referring to the Ministry of Environment and Energy’s tariff reform, he emphasized that with the current system, the total available tariffs offered by providers exceed 130. “Based on the European directive we are obliged to leave providers free to make commercial policy. That is, to have these more than 130 different invoices… And RAAEF suggested us to include them in three categories” pointed out Mr. Skylakakis.

In essence, as he explained, the number of invoices does not change, but how they are categorized and the fact that color coding was added for the convenience of consumers. In practice, the fixed tariffs are blue, the floating tariffs are yellow, the dynamic tariffs are orange, and the State added to them the green, special tariff, in the context of which the kWh charge price, from 1.1.2024, will be announced on the 1st day of each month on the provider’s website and will be notified to RAAE. The price in question will be “locked” for the entire month, with a fixed amount that will not exceed 5 euros.

As the Minister of Environment and Energy emphasized: “The big problem for consumers is that based on these 130 invoices, they did not know the real price of electricity. Here, then, we said that a tariff is established by us, it is the green one and the price will be one. So that consumers can see who is the cheapest provider.”

And although it will be possible for consumers to change provider every month, without any penalty, he estimated that this change will not be done in practice, explaining the reason. “The deviations will be small in the prices of the providers (e.g. 1-2 euros, because the competition will work). As long as the discrepancies are small, there is no need to change the consumer provider” said Mr. Skylakakis.

In a question regarding the role of the state to protect the consumer against companies that try to inform him according to their interests, Mr. Skylakakis underlined: “The Energy Regulatory Authority must be very careful at this time. In fact, he called the providers and they had a conversation about the updates they are doing… What bothers me? It does not bother me that there is information, that is the obligation of the providers. It bothers me that this information is first based on imaginary prices… Because when they inform you based on imaginary prices and not on the basis of what they offer, then this can be misleading. The second thing that bothers me is when someone comes and instead of dealing with the final price which is what matters, they deal with the formula with which the final price will come out, which doesn’t matter at all because at the end of the day the formula leads to a price, which price can change every month as well.”

He attributed the confusion around the new tariffs to the fact that some providers are annoyed by the competition. “Confusion can also be a strategy,” the Minister characteristically said, emphasizing: “…The world will understand just fine, as long as we stop telling them “you won’t understand, you won’t understand””.

In addition, Mr. Skylakakis noted for socially or energy vulnerable households: “At the same time, we also intervene in approximately 43% of consumers and provide emergency assistance, so that the social tariff (A’ and B’) is formed at very low prices, while we are also introducing electric heating support”, referring to relevant announcements, until the end of the year.

Finally, in relation to the operation of the electricity market in general, he explained: “When you buy something in the future, what is the problem of the electricity market – for the world to understand? We buy something, the price of which we do not know. Because the price is adjusted hour by hour, during the month… To deal with this problem you have three ways: Either I don’t know the price, but someone offers me a service that “locks” it for a year and he takes the risk, or “locks” for a month and he takes the risk or he doesn’t “lock” it at all and the risk is taken by the consumer”.