Prague Energy (PRE) will increase the price of electricity and gas supplies from January next year. Most customers will pay the government’s capped costs so that the average Prague household will pay hundreds of crowns less per month than at present.
At the same time, the company will unify the price levels for high and low tariffs for electricity, while only the distribution fees will remain different.
PRE Group is the third largest electricity supplier in the Czech Republic, with more than 820,000 consumption points. Other suppliers in the Czech Republic are also planning to increase electricity prices starting next year.
In October, the government set price ceilings of CZK 6,000 per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity, including VAT, and CZK 3,000 per MWh of gas. Distribution charges have to be added to this.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said at the time that the cost of this measure would be around CZK 130 billion.
According to PRE, the average Prague household that uses a single-tariff distribution tariff for electricity consumption, under which it does not heat water in the boiler and does not use electricity for heating, should pay around CZK 1,400 per month after the capping and including all fees. Compared to the current amount, this is about CZK 300 more.
This applies to about three-quarters of PRE customers. On the other hand, some customers will see a slight decrease in their monthly advance payments. The price changes will not affect customers who have contractually fixed supply prices.
The prices for end customers will thus be significantly lower than the actual market prices derived from the wholesale market prices of both commodities.
The current price list for the basic PRE tariff for next year will be CZK 10,799 per MWh, including VAT, for electricity and CZK 5,263 per MWh for gas. However, customers will pay prices up to the level of the price ceiling set by the government. The state should pay for the part above the roof.
PRE will inform its customers about the energy price adjustment in the following days by letter or e-mail and send them the newly set advance payments.
The company also reminded its customers that they can apply for the program to motivate them to save energy until mid-November.
According to PRE spokesman Karel Hanzelka, households that reduce their electricity consumption by 10 percent over the winter will receive CZK 1,500 on their customer account. He said that 24,000 families have signed up for the program.