Electricity consumers can expect a second cost reduction in two months, a public service compensation (YKO) surcharge cut for nighttime electricity consumption, once a wide-reaching energy ministry draft bill is ratified.

The bill will cover the electricity market’s further liberalization, power utility PPC’s modernization, gas utility DEPA’s privatization and RES sector support.

This latest electricity surcharge cost reduction follows a RES-supporting ETMEAR surcharge rate cut in September.

Public service compensation surcharge rates concerning nighttime electricity usage will be reduced for consumption levels exceeding 1,600 kWh. This cut promises to ease electricity-based heating costs for households this coming winter.

The energy ministry intends to decide on the extent of the surcharge reduction once the aforementioned draft bill has been ratified.

YKO surcharge costs concerning nighttime electricity consumption increased for households at the beginning of 2018 when a low flat-rate formula was replaced by one gradually increasing the surcharge rate in accordance with usage levels, as is the case for daytime consumption.

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has proposed an YKO surcharge rate reduction from 0.085 euro to 0.03 euro per kWh for nighttime consumption of over 2,000 kWh and a cut from 0.05 euro to 0.015 euro per kWh for consumption levels between 1,600 and 2,000 kWh.

YKO rates for nighttime electricity consumption have been equated with daytime rates since January 1, 2018. These are 0.00690 euro per kWh for electricity consumption between 0 and 1,600 kWh, 0.05 euro for consumption between 1,601 and 2,000 kWh and 0.085 euro for consumption of 2,001 KWh and over.