According to the latest data from the Energy Market Agency (for the third quarter of 2023), the average actual costs of energy purchase and distribution to the largest industrial recipients (directly connected to the high and extra-high voltage networks) exceeded PLN 900/MWh net and were one third higher than in 2022 year. For the first time in history, industry already paid more than households.
Due to subsidized rates for home customers, last year the Kowalski family actually paid on average PLN 778/MWh (i.e. PLN 96/kWh with VAT). Thanks to subsidies, their bills increased on average by almost 10% compared to 2022.
High voltage
The highest amount, as much as PLN 1,152/MWh (PLN 1.42/kWh gross), was paid for electricity by business customers connected to the low-voltage grid. The rates for them approximately reflect the price level that would affect household customers if it were not for the freezing of rates.
The industry switched to spot out of fear for the future
Although it is small business that buys electricity the most expensively, the fastest price increase in the last 2-3 years has been felt by the largest industry. This is visible not only in the purchase prices of electricity itself, but also in network fees, which have almost doubled since 2020.
Industrialists remind us that it was supposed to be different. − When the capacity market was introduced in Poland, energy-intensive plants were assured that the quality fee would be reduced because the cost of some system services would be covered by the capacity fee. Meanwhile, while in 2017 it was PLN 12.70/MWh and it was announced that it would be reduced to approximately PLN 8/MWh, by 2024 it is already PLN 31.41/MWh – i.e. 2.5 times more than in 2017 year. Therefore, industrial consumers are forced to bear the increasing costs of balancing not only the variable demand of end users from tariff groups B, C and G, but also weather-dependent renewable energy sources – says Henryk Kaliś, president of the Chamber of Industrial Energy and Energy Consumers. He adds that the energy-intensive industry connected to the 110 and 200 kV grid stably consumes 3,250 MW all year round.
What next with wholesale energy prices in Poland? How much will households pay from July 2024? More on this later in the article on WysokieNapiecie.pl
