The value of the extra tariff that will be charged in July, under red flag 2, will be R$9,492 for every 100 kWh consumed. This is a 52% increase compared to the previous value, of R$6,243. The announcement was made by ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) after approving, early in the afternoon of this Tuesday (29), the resolution that establishes the value of the new tariff flags starting July 1, 2021.
According to the entity, the new price includes the costs of generating electricity resulting from the worst water crisis in the last 91 years, according to data from the ONS (National System Operator). The board of directors of ANEEL It also decided the amounts that will be charged for the other flags. The green flag, which indicates good energy generation conditions, will continue to be free.
The yellow flag, in turn, will increase from R$1,343 to R$1,874 for every 100 kWh consumed (a 39,5% increase). The red flag, at level 1, will be reduced by 4,75%, falling from R$4,169 to R$3,971. In a note, the Agency highlighted that the tariff flags, updated annually until 2019, remained unchanged in 2020 as an emergency measure to alleviate consumers' electricity bills and assist the electricity sector during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For the same reason, the ANEEL maintained the green flag from June to November 2020 – during this period, the costs of the Flag Account were covered by the Covid Account, a loan to the electricity sector made with public and private banks, with the aim of alleviating the impacts of the current crisis in the electricity sector”, the entity pointed out.
Social tax
A ANEEL also announced this Tuesday the incidence of additional tariff flags on the electricity bills of consumers who are entitled to the Social Electricity Tariff. The amounts will follow the same discount percentages that are established by consumption bracket. “This means that low-income families enrolled in the Social Tariff program pay the flags with the same discounts they already have on tariffs, from 10% to 65%, depending on the consumption bracket,” explained the ANEEL.
About the water crisis
Brazil is currently experiencing the biggest water crisis in the last 91 years, with critical levels of water reserves in its strategic reservoirs. The problem has been spreading since the end of last year, with the lack of rain, which raised discussions about the risk of energy rationing in the country, like the one carried out 20 years ago, in 2001.
Currently, the reservoirs in the Southeast and Central-West regions, responsible for 70% of the country's energy generation, are at just 30,2% of their capacity. In some of them, the index is below 11%. This is the case of the São Simão, Itumbiara, Marimbondo and Água Vermelha reservoirs.
The crisis forced the Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, to speak on national radio and television this Monday night (28) asking the population to make conscious use of water and electricity, so that the problem does not worsen in the coming months.
“Given this scenario, simulations of the ANEEL in the Bandeiras Account demonstrated that the values previously estimated by the Public Consultation ANEEL No. 10/2021, carried out for society's contribution to the calculation of the update of the flags in 2021, would be insufficient to cover the costs of purchasing energy from distributors”, alleged the ANEEL.
