Many consumers find themselves facing significant costs increases in the bill, net of a reduction in the cost of energy. There are various possible reasons behind this surprising effect which, in any case, requires rapid intervention on the part of the user.
Rising bills: the reasons
An elementary calculation would have it at one reduction in energy costs by approximately 30% correspond to downward variations in the bill. The indicated decrease concerned the first two months of 2024, yet many consumers complain of a worsened condition. This translates into higher electricity and gas bills compared to the previous period, which had higher energy costs.
The reasons can be various, as indicated by Selectra, a service that compares electricity, gas and internet offers. If on the one hand we refer to the consumer habitsas well as problems with damaged appliances and, therefore, potentially energy-intensive, on the other hand there is talk of expired taxes and offers: “A careful analysis of the bill it can help to understand the cause of the increase and to think about whether it is appropriate to evaluate a new offer”. These are the words of the Energy Manager, Flavia Masci.
Domestic habits and problems
Before pointing fingers and believing you have been wronged, you need to carefully analyze your consumption. This comes from reading your bills, the most recent and the previous ones, so as to make an accurate comparison. They may have changed daily habitswith more time spent at home having an impact on consumption (greater than expected).
Think, for example, of those who have the possibility of working in smart working. No doubt your bills will be increased by this condition. A necessary expense, compensated by the absence of travel costs to and from the office. Among the main culprits of expensive bills are heating systems. However, they also have a weight particular preparations in the kitchen or of excessively hot and prolonged showers.
Retracing your steps to adjust your bill is actually the simplest solution to the most obvious problem. However, there are various possible reasons. You might have one at home dated appliance or damaged, the state of which enormously influences consumption, even though it does not benefit from particular advantages. From repair to replacement (opting for a high energy scale, from G to A), an intervention is necessary. Please also remember that an increased initial expense, dictated by the energy class, will be recovered in the bill, over the years. In fact, one thing stands out 25% increase in consumption for each step less than this range.
Simply reading the total amount, without analyzing the bill, can also lead to ignoring a hypothetical adjustment. It cannot be excluded that in the previous charge an amount corresponding to an estimated and not actual consumption was paid. Sometimes the adjustment presents an advantage for the consumer, but one cannot be ruled out cost realignment hard on his pockets. From this point of view, a healthy habit is that of self-reading.
VAT and expired offers
As regards the specific case of gas bills, it must be taken into account that from 1 January 2024 VAT on invoices for this supply it has returned to “ordinary”. This results in a 10% load for civil uses (within 480 Smc per year) and 22% for other cases. Double that guaranteed by the 2022 Budget Law, which had lowered the rate to 5%. A measure not renewed in the 2024 budget of Giorgia Meloni’s government.
As mentioned, however, everything is present in the bill. This shouldn’t be scary, despite the various sheets and many different wordings. You need to check if yours offer signed, at advantageous costs, is still in force. At the same time, you should inform yourself about the renewal terms. In 2024 many families found themselves having to deal with contracts fixed prices renewed at higher rates, not by little. All this after receiving enormous support from this system during the price crisis linked to the war unleashed in Ukraine by Putin’s Russia.
You also need to keep the billing period under control. It may have changed and the high figure refers to two or three months. At the same time, however, those who have changed operator could find themselves with a double charge. A communication error risks triggering an invoice from both the old supplier and the new one. In these cases it is necessary to request a refund if the amount is automatically deducted from the account. Otherwise, simply contact the assistance center to clarify your position.
Free market
Ultimately, in 2024 everyone has come to terms with the many nuances of the free market. Consumers found themselves in a sea of offers of various kinds. It is not certain that you have chosen the one best suited to your specific consumption. Please also remember that read the specific details of the offers protects against unfair commercial practices. Who hasn’t happened to have risked sign an unclear agreement, perhaps via a call center, which boasted advantages that in reality did not exist. Comparing offers online is now easier than ever, and you should not be afraid to change supplier again, even shortly after the previous contract was signed. It is within your rights to protect yourself.
The last case is, finally, also the most predictable: le variable price offers are connected to market indices. To explain any increases, we could therefore check the trend of the PUN (electricity) and PSV (gas) index, so as to confirm this hypothesis or exclude it completely.
