Some households to save on electricity and gas bills in 2021

Illustrative photo: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay / CC0

Czech consumers will pay more or less the same for electricity and gas in 2021 as they have this year. The country’s Energy Regulatory Office on Monday announced a 1.7 percent drop in the regulated price of electricity for households and 1.6 percent fall in the regulated component of natural gas prices.

Analysts expect consumers to save hundreds or even thousands of crowns a year as a result. By contrast, companies are set to pay significantly more for electricity, as more financial support is put into green energy sources.

According to the Energy Regulatory Office, the regulated price of electricity for households in the Czech Republic, which includes the cost of transfer and distribution, will go down by approximately 1.7 percent next year.

The change in the regulated price of electricity will differ depending on the region where the households are connected to the electricity grid. The final price will also be affected by the character of supply and the amount of power consumed.

Another fact influencing end price will be choice of baseload supplier, which influences the unregulated part of the price.

Photo: archive of Radio Prague

For instance, one of the country’s biggest suppliers, the company Pražská energetika, said it envisaged a drop of 0.46 percent for households next year, while ČEZ is expected to reduce its price by 2.6 percent. E.ON, on the other hand, will increase its distribution price 0.28 percent.

As regards gas, most households around the country are also expected to pay the same amount. According to the Energy Regulatory Office, the regulated price for natural gas, which accounts for around a third of the total gas supply price, will drop by an average of 1.6 percent.

However, Prague inhabitants who rely on gas for cooking and heating have less reason to be happy. The city’s main gas supplier Pražská plynárenská has announced an increase of the regulated price by 4.7 percent. The main reason behind the price hike is the modernization of the city’s pipeline network.

According to analysts, the drop in electricity and gas prices is caused mainly by a fall in gas and electricity wholesale prices. The current price of electricity on the market for 2021 is roughly 43.7 euros per MWh, a year-on-year drop by over 13 percent. The price of gas slumped by roughly a quarter to 14 euros per MWh.