Armenian regulator to apply differentiated prices for gas and electricity
Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) will apply differentiated rates for natural gas and electricity, according to a proposal made today at a Cabinet session.
Labor and social affairs minister Artem Asatryan said the regulator is proposed to apply separate tariffs for socially disadvantaged citizens, considering them as a separate category and setting the lowest possible tariffs.
A similar proposal was made by the minister of economic development and investment Suren Karajan in respect of greenhouses and agricultural processing enterprises that consume gas. In particular, the regulator is proposed to regard them as a separate category and apply stimulating tariffs for gas.
When holding his first government session on September 15 prime minister Karen Karapetyan asked the ministries of energy and labor as well as state utility regulators to explore the possibility of reducing the prices of electricity and natural gas for low-income Armenians as well as some businesses. These categories are:
1. consumers eligible to social benefits that consume less than 600 cubic meters of gas per year will pay 100,000 drams per one thousand cubic meters of gas;
2. The greenhouse farms will pay the equivalent of $212 from 1 November to 31 March for one thousand cubic meters;
3. processing enterprises will pay $212 for one thousand cubic meters;
4. consumers that consume less than 10 thousand cubic meters of gas per month will pay 139,000 drams per one thousand cubic meters;
5. consumers consuming more than 10,000 cubic meters of gas per month will pay the equivalent of $242.1 for one thousand. cubic meters.
The current price for gas for households consuming up to 10,000 cubic meters a month is 146.5 drams per one cubic meter. The price for enterprises consuming over 10,000 cubic meters was cut from $276.98 (in dram equivalent) to $257.56 (including VAT). -- 0--