Ljubljana - Network charges for the distribution of electricity will increase by 14.16% as of new year, which will bring about an annual price increase of EUR 22.52 for an average household consumer, the Energy Agency announced. For the transmission system, the network charge will remain unchanged.

The Energy Agency has set the regulatory framework for electricity operators and the network charges for 2022, which are expected to increase the cost of electricity supply. They also announced what the changes will mean for consumers.

An average household consumer with an annual consumption of 3,500 kilowatt hours will see a monthly and annual electricity cost increase of EUR 1.88 and EUR 22.52, respectively, compared to 2021.

An average industrial consumer with an annual consumption of 50 megawatt hours will see a monthly cost increase of EUR 39.07 and an annual cost increase of EUR 468.85, while an industrial consumer with an annual consumption of two gigawatt hours will pay an additional EUR 3,407.05 per year.

Meanwhile, a typical industrial customer with an annual consumption of 24 gigawatt hours will face an increase of EUR 2,782 per month and an increase of EUR 33,386 per year in electricity supply costs in 2022.

The Energy Agency noted the eligible costs of electricity operators; controlled and uncontrolled operation and maintenance costs, network losses, system service costs, depreciation, regulated return on assets, quality of supply, incentives, research and innovation.

The increase in network charges is mainly the result of a decrease in electricity consumption in 2020 (-5%) and 2021 (-3%) compared to the planned consumption, due to the contraction of economic activity as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the agency, electricity consumption is expected to trend upwards in 2022, but will not yet exceed the consumption recorded before the pandemic.

"The reduction in electricity consumption in the period 2020-2021 caused higher network charge deficits in that period, which has led to the need for additional resources to cover eligible costs in 2022," the agency concluded.