A paradox is emerging in the panorama of Italian energy bills that is causing concern among users: despite a significant drop in wholesale energy prices in the first two months of the year, the costs of gas and electricity bills seem to remain surprisingly high, if not even increasing.
The cost of energy has reportedly dropped by about 30%, but consumers have not seen a corresponding reduction in their bills. What are the reasons for this phenomenon? Firstly, there was an increase in VAT, which directly impacted energy costs. Since last January 1st, VAT on gas has returned to “ordinary” levels, resulting in an increase of 10% for civil uses and even 22% for other cases. This represents a change compared to the provisions of the 2022 Budget law, which had reduced the rate to 5%. The absence of a renewal of this measure in the latest government budget contributed to this situation.
In addition, many users found themselves facing fixed price contracts renewed at higher tariffs, a phenomenon aggravated by the end of the protected market and the transition to the free market for both gas (from January) and electricity (from starting from July). This regime change has resulted, for some, in increased costs without a corresponding reduction in energy.
The Billoo Observatory has contributed to shedding light on this situation, highlighting that there are currently few offers on the free market that are more advantageous than those on the protected market. However, there is optimism that offers are improving and may, over time, become more competitive. Furthermore, energy use efficiency has been identified as another critical factor influencing the cost of energy bills. Analyzes conducted have found that many consumers could save significantly with more rational and efficient consumption.
In view of April 1st, another challenge looms for Italian users: the expiry of the extraordinary contribution on electricity, intended for families benefiting from the electricity bonus. This means that the electricity bonus will return to its ordinary amounts, with a direct impact on the energy bills of Italian families.
