Is Italy underestimating the incoming sting on energy bills?
Minister Cingolani reassures: despite the gas crisis, for Italy next winter will be "well sustainable" compared to the rest of Europe. But the experts – from Clò to Tabarelli – are not so optimistic. And the Arera announces new increases in bills
The Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani recently told Tg1 that "we certainly expect a winter of prudence, given the international situation, and of sober consumption that never hurts, but in any case well sustainable compared to that of our European colleagues". He was referring to the limitation of natural gas flows by Russia, which until last year was the first supplier to Italy (and the European Union) with a share of around 40 per cent.
In preparation for their possible zeroing in winter, Brussels has asked member states to replenish their stocks and limit (but on a voluntary basis) the use of fuel until next March.
HOW DO STORAGE IN ITALY GO, ACCORDING TO CINGOLANI
In this regard, Cingolani assured that “Italy has diversified its supplies very quickly. Dependence on Russian gas has dropped from 40% a few months ago to around 15% and by 2024 we would be totally independent. We are accelerating with stocks, today they have reached 75% and are moving towards the target of 90% full by the end of October ".
CRITICISM OF CLÒ ( ENERGY )
However, the minister's words did not convince Alberto Clò, an expert on energy issues and director of the magazine Energia . In an interview with Fatto Quotidiano, the former Minister of Industry stated that "we are no better than the others, as Cingolani says" and that "we should prepare for the worst, in the sense that we should have prepared a rationing plan".
WHAT ARERA SAYS ABOUT BILLS
"These reassurances", he added, "are unmotivated and denied by the regulator". In fact, in the report at the end of July, the Arera (Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment) had spoken of "difficulties […] in finding the volumes necessary to meet the demand" for gas on the wholesale markets and anticipated the possibility of an "increase of over 100 per cent compared to the current quarter" in energy bills starting from next October.
CLÒ ATTACKS ON THE GOVERNMENT …
In the interview, Clò acknowledges the efforts of Mario Draghi's government to find alternative gas suppliers to Russia ( Algeria , above all). But he also underlined how "the decision to entrust the filling of the storage to Snam", although necessary, "ended up raising the prices" of gas.
The Prodian economist also wonders how much the government will still have to spend – in addition to the 35 billion already allocated – to mitigate the impact of higher bill prices on families, especially the most vulnerable ones. In Germany , the government of Olaf Scholz announced today the lowering of the gas tax to 7 percent to protect consumers. In Italy, the VAT on methane has already been raised to 5 percent , and will remain there until the end of December with the Aid bis decree.
… AND TO EUROPE
As for the European Union, Clò argues that the blockade could run out of gas in winter and yet "it sails on sight, it seems that we are not aware of things". He also criticized the plan to reduce fuel consumption due to its voluntary nature.
THE OPINION OF TABARELLI (NOMISM)
Davide Tabarelli – professor of economics at the University of Bologna and president of the research company Nomisma Energia – had already defined the European agreement as "surreal" and "pure madness" due to voluntary participation. “But above all, other nonsense”, he added, “I would like to understand if and when the countries themselves will implement this invitation. Look, governments are afraid of people's anger, it's not that easy ”.
Tabarelli supports the need to "ration, but seriously" gas.
CROSETTO'S PROPOSALS
The co-founder of Fratelli d'Italia Guido Crosetto, heard by the newspaper Verità & Affari , thinks that a hypothetical center-right government after the September elections should "act immediately to lower energy prices and to protect companies and weaker classes".
To do this, he believes that it is necessary "to streamline the procedures for drilling, to open new regasifiers, to return temporarily, as long as necessary, to using any resource, including coal".
– Read also:Does Cingolani want to give gas to Italy?
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/italia-gas-crisi-bollette-forniture/ on Thu, 18 Aug 2022 12:51:21 +0000.