NATURAL gas prices for Slovak households will rise by an average of 5.53 percent in 2012, Jozef Holjenčík, the head of the Office for Regulation of Network Industries (ÚRSO), told the TASR newswire on December 14.
“For the tariff group of consumers using gas for cooking only, this represents an increase of €1.60 per year. For the group of consumers who use gas also for heating water, the annual payment will go up by €29.40 and for those who use gas also for heating, the increase represents growth of €66 per year,“ Holjenčík stated, as quoted by TASR.
Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP), the country’s gas utility, had proposed a price increase of 23 percent and its spokesman, Ondrej Šebesta, said the announced gas prices will cover only part of the utility’s costs.
“This means that the company is expecting a loss in the regulated segments again in 2012. The loss generated in the regulated segments of gas sales in 2011 will reach several dozens of millions of euros,“ Šebesta told TASR, adding that the current price of gas for households does not reflect economic reality and does not enable the company to cover its justified costs.
“SPP will, after deep analysis of the price-related decisions, take further steps necessary for protection of its interests,“ Šebesta stated, as quoted by TASR.
