ROMA – A respite for the bills of families and small businesses. The tariffs for natural gas consumption for October are down by 12.9%, compared to the amount paid in the quarter from July to September. In part, the decline in bills was expected given the trend in gas prices on the European market, where prices – in the last month – have fallen on average between 35 and 40 percent.
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But the drop of almost 13 percentage points is beyond expectations and could be very useful in view of the next update that will arrive in early December. for the drop in prices we have to thank, for the most part, the weather, with a very mild beginning of autumn and temperatures above average. But the savings policies initiated by businesses and households also had an impact. As well as the first hints of recessionwith a slowing of the industrial production.
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But it is only a truce. “Let’s not let our guard down”, warns the president of Arera (the Authority that oversees the energy sector), Stefano Besseghini. “The cost of gas for October recorded a drop compared to the previous quarter, but the percentages should not be misleading. The values remain very high compared to the past. And, if it is true that they had a modest impact on families in the summer period, they will determine more demanding bills with the increase in consumption in the winter season, with prices that are expected to rise due to the greater demand in the cold months “.
In other words, Besseghini means that gas prices remain at record levels. But consumers have not noticed, because use in the warm months is extremely limited. But everything will change, of course, as soon as the heaters are turned on.