In different ranges: why certain regions have higher energy consumption standards

In late November, the Russian government authorized some regions to increase the ranges of electricity consumption, according to which tariffs will be determined. The reason for this was the low level of gasification in these regions, which forced residents to use electric heating in the cold season. Izvestia" investigated why it was necessary to promptly change the consumption ranges, which were determined on November 1.

In the name of heat

Uniform ranges of electricity consumption for differentiation of tariffs for all regions were approved on November 1. According to the document, users must pay for it in accordance with the monthly electricity consumption. Thus, in the first range - up to 3.9 thousand kW⋅h per month - the preferential rate is preserved. The second range, up to 6 thousand kW⋅h, will be already economically justified in terms of price, and in the third range the consumer will pay at the price of the wholesale electricity market.

Such a measure should help in the fight against illegal cryptocurrency miners: they settle in regions with low tariffs and use electricity on an industrial scale, creating a huge load on networks and imposing a financial burden on local businesses. Unscrupulous consumers were, in fact, profiting from the subsidized tariff without paying any taxes. Moreover, it turned out that everyone else ended up being financially responsible for those who illegally paid the subsidized tariff.

Regions received the right to set energy tariffs depending on the volume of consumption back in 2021. Kemerovo Region was the first to switch to a differentiated tariff system in 2022. As of August 2024, differentiated electricity tariffs have been introduced in 72 regions of Russia.

After the decree was adopted, Igor Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region, asked the federal authorities to revise the rates, as local officials believe that they are insufficient for the region, where only 2% of households are gasified and people everywhere use electricity for home heating.

Special measures

The situation was studied at the federal level, and it was decided to increase the ranges of electricity consumption for those regions where gasification is at a low level. Thus, the upper limit of the first range in this case will be 7,020 kW⋅h, the second - 10,800 kW⋅h per month. However, this is a temporary measure - the ranges will be in effect from January 1 to the end of April 2025.

The Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation noted that the ranges adopted on November 1 were determined taking into account the need for electric heating of a typical house based on the current building standards, including the necessary insulation of walls and floors in accordance with the climatic features of the northern territories.

At the same time, for all regions, including the Irkutsk Oblast, energy consumption norms have been determined taking into account the coldest months of the year. According to the norms, the maximum specific consumption by one household is 21.81 kW⋅h per 1 square meter, i.e. for a typical house of 120 square meters the figure is 2,617 kW⋅h per month. For northern territories, the figure is slightly higher - 3,011 kW⋅h.

Thus, if all the standards for the construction of a house are met, the vast majority of households, including those in the Irkutsk Oblast, fall into the first consumption range.

The Association "Community of Energy Consumers" agrees with this assessment. "According to calculations made using various methods, the volume of electricity in the first (preferential) range is sufficient for normal household consumption for three to six months. So, on average in the regions, the ranges are set reasonably", - noted there.

There is time for changes

The department added that thanks to the extended ranges, people now have time to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and prepare them for the next winter period, when the increasing coefficients will no longer apply.

The energy efficiency of a home is first and foremost a set of measures of the rationality and efficiency of energy use. They are influenced by the energy efficiency of materials and equipment used in the construction of the house, as well as approaches to regulating the temperature in the premises. Specialists note that it is possible to reduce the heat output of a house with the help of various materials.

Experts from the Center for Energy and Resource Saving believe that good thermal insulation of a private building can reduce the cost of its heating almost three times. Thus, heating an uninsulated house made of 18-centimeter log will cost the most money (according to data for January 2023, 18000 rubles). For the same cottage, but with plasterboard inside - already five thousand rubles less. If you add basalt outside the building, the bill will be twice less, and siding with an air gap will reduce this figure three times, say the specialists of the center.

At the same time, it is necessary to install in the houses regulating devices that will take into account the outside temperature and set the heating mode corresponding to it.

Targeted support

In the "Community of Energy Consumers" added that the level of consumption can fluctuate from region to region. At the same time, there may be cases when a large family lives in a large house without electric heating. In such a case, a point decision on a different range of energy consumption or preferential subsidization is possible. "But targeted - only for specific households and only for the heating season", - emphasized there.