Electricity and gas bills, now the government helps low-income families

There is a significant twist coming. The government changes its strategy on bills, favoring support for low-income families. Without resorting to budget variances, but using the resources that come from the extra VAT, we will intervene in today’s Cdm for a progressive and selective cut, and no longer horizontal and equal for all. Read also The resources for a first step are there. The increase in prices, together with the typical problems of a sharp rise in inflation, also brought 7-8 billion more into the state coffers. The framework requires a substantial part of it to be used to mitigate the effects of the cost of energy. Today the Arera will officially announce the new tariffs reserved for the protected market and increases are still expected. In the last week, from 20 to 26 June, the average purchase price of electricity on the GME exchange was equal to 327.54 euros / MWh, a sharp increase compared to 262 euros the previous week. These are numbers that authorize us to think that the run of the bills is far from over. The government, which must also deal with the umpteenth fibrillation in the majority linked to the Grillo-Conte-Draghi case, intends to give a strong signal. Technically, it is not certain that there is a new decree, as there is the possibility of intervening on the decree approved last week and not yet published in the Official Journal. It provides for the allocation of over 2 billion to eliminate system charges on electricity bills. For gas bills, 481 million are envisaged to cut VAT, 470 to eliminate system charges and 240 for the brackets up to 5,000 cubic meters per year. to affect those who need it most, on the lowest incomes. It is more complicated and less immediate, because it will be necessary to consider the different levels of income, but it is certainly more equitable. Several observers, since the first support interventions, have highlighted how the horizontal cut lent itself to an evident distortion. Carlo Cottarelli used an effective simile when speaking of the discount on fuels, “we also make cuts to those who ride in Ferrari”. And the same reasoning applies even more to bills. The increases affect in a profoundly different way based on the economic conditions of those who suffer them. And the government should start taking that into account.