If you are a customer of EDP Comercial or Galp in natural gas, get ready for a significant increase in your bill as of October. Is that the two companies, which represent almost two-thirds of customers in the liberalized market in Portugal, announced increases in gas prices, in response to the strong increase registered in international markets. In the case of EDP Comercial, the company informed that domestic customers will have a average increase of 30 euros per month on your bill. To this value are added five to seven euros related to fees and taxesso the increase can reach 37 euros per month. historic climbwhich EDP Comercial justifies with the price escalation in wholesale marketsdriven by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and restrictions on Russian gas supply, which led to increases in other markets, such as Algeria. The company, which had not updated its prices for a year, unlike other traders, also announced that the new prices will be in effect for three months, and not for 12 months as usual. This means that the new values will remain until the end of decemberwhich can then be corrected (upwards or downwards) depending on the evolution of the market. EDP Comercial executive Vera Pinto Pereira, speaking to Lusa.Also read: How to save on gas without major sacrifices in your routines
Galp raises gas prices for the third time this year
After EDP, it was Galp’s turn to announce that its customers would also will have an update of the rates from October. The increase has not yet been quantified by the company, but it is already the third this year. In a note sent to TSF, Galp only indicated that given the volatility of the market and the respective increase in the cost of gas, “it will increase gas prices in October in a order of magnitude to be indicated shortly”.In April, the company had already increased tariffs between 1.8 and 3 euros, having carried out a new update in July, which resulted in a growth of around 3.6 euros. when should it be done and what procedures to follow?
Natural gas prices in Europe dictate rising bills
The increase in natural gas prices in Portugal is being dictated by the aggravations registered in the European marketheavily dependent on Russia. This Wednesday, the price of natural gas in Europe reached a new high since march (beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine) above the 302 euros per MWhafter Russian Gazprom announced a suspension of gas supplies to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for three days due to the need for maintenance. pretext for a longer shutdown of the gas pipeline, which is already operating at only 20% of its capacity, which has led to a doubling of gas prices in Europe since June. rising gas costs in Asia, where state-owned companies are starting their purchases before the winter. All in all, natural gas prices in Europe have been rising since September last year, due to Russian supply constraints and concerns about storage, a context worsened later by the invasion of Ukraine and the supply cuts via Nord Stream. These factors led the Dutch TTF, a benchmark for natural gas prices in Europe, to increase to more than 14 times the average of the last decadefurther aggravating fears of recession in the Old Continent.
How to mitigate the increase in your gas bill
In view of the announced increase in the gas bill of most Portuguese families, it is important to remember that small gestures, at home, can make a big difference in the monthly budget. If nothing can be done to avoid the increase in tariffs, we must act, in terms of consumption, to try to mitigate the increase in the bill. To this end, here is a set of tips that can help you reduce your expenses.
In the bath house:
– change the prolonged baths for quicker showers. Do not delay longer than necessary ;- Avoid immersion baths;- Lower the water temperature in the boiler or water heater;- turn off the water whenever you are not using it. While soaping or brushing your teeth, you don’t need lukewarm or hot water running.
In the kitchen:
– Don’t turn on the stove until you need it. The food you are going to cook must already be prepared in advance, to avoid unnecessary breaks during cooking;- Adjust the burner to the size of the pot or pan that you will use. No need to use the bigger spout for a small pot ;- Do not use more water than necessary for cooking. of food: it will only take longer to boil, increase gas consumption. To speed up the process even more, cover the pans whenever possible;- Use the pressure cookerwhenever indicated;- If you have a gas oven, avoid opening the door during cooking of food. And make the best use of the available space: since you’re going to turn it on, why not cook dinner today and lunch the next day?
On heating:
– You have attention to temperature. If your heating is gas, maintaining a very high temperature inside the house will require a very high consumption; – Do not heat rooms where you are not. Keep the heating on only for as long as needed and in the rooms of the house that are actually being used. Heating empty rooms is just a waste of energy;- Ensure good thermal insulation. Caulked windows, double glazing and efficient window frames they are essential to maintain the temperature inside the house. Also read: Gas inspection: What are my obligations under the legislation? Hang tags
A professional writer by day, a tech-nerd by night, with a love for all things money.