A Light, an energy distributor that serves more than 4,3 million customers in Rio de Janeiro, asked the ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) the deferral of amounts that, if applied, will reduce the tariff for Rio de Janeiro consumers by an average of 14% this year. The concessionaire's next tariff adjustment should be concluded on Tuesday (11).
With the end of expensive energy supply contracts, the distributor's energy costs should decrease, which would lead to a reduction in tariffs. However, the concessionaire is asking for the adjustment to be postponed, as this would prevent the consumer from noticing a large fluctuation in the tariff.
A TR Solutions, a technology company specializing in energy tariffs, explains that the deferral is equivalent to a loan that consumers will compulsorily make to the distributor. According to the company's calculations, the value of the deferral is estimated at R$2 billion.
The prospect of an average reduction in tariffs of 14% estimated by the distributor itself is due to the end, in December, of the supply contract with the Norte Fluminense thermoelectric plant (NorteFlu). The UTE was contracted shortly after the energy rationing of 2001, within the PPT (Priority Thermoelectricity Program).
“In the 2024 tariff process, this contract represented just over 21% of the contracted amount, at a price of R$417/MWh, while the average economic price approved by Aneel at the time was R$283/MWh”, explains the Director of Regulation at TR Soluções and one of those responsible for the study, Helder Sousa.
According to TR Soluções, the tariff relief that should benefit Rio de Janeiro consumers this year may be compromised if the ANEEL comply with Light's request. The distributor invoked similarity with the deferral obtained by Copel-D from the regulator in 2024 and, aiming at alleged “cost predictability”, the distributor requested that the adjustment be zero.
“In practice, this is equivalent to consumers lending the company almost R$2 billion. What’s more, there is no set repayment period. If this trend catches on, consumers will start lending money so that distributors do not reduce their rates,” says Sousa.
Seen more broadly, the reduction in Light's tariff would also benefit all Brazilians, helping to mitigate the impact of the input on inflation.
According to TR Soluções, the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, around 75% of which is served by Light, s for approximately 10% of the share of electricity in the basket that makes up the official inflation, the IPCA.
“In a year in which the inflation target set by the National Monetary Council is 3% and the expectation is that the average variation in tariffs in the country could exceed the target ceiling of 4,5%, renouncing a structural and long-planned tariff reduction raises questions about the reasonableness of the measure, given its impacts on consumers and the country's economy”, highlights the study by TR Soluções.
“Ultimately, Aneel’s decision on Light’s request could call into question the extent to which tariff predictability and its economic impacts are being considered in the sector’s regulation,” warns Sousa.
As for consumers in Rio de Janeiro specifically, both captive and free consumers will benefit if the tariff reduction is applied. This is mainly due to the relevance, in the distributor's costs, of non-technical energy losses (theft), which are valued at the average price of energy purchase contracts and directly impact the Distribution System Usage Tariff (TUSD), paid by all consumers.
Copel example
In last year's tariff process, Copel Distribuição consumers should have seen an average tariff reduction of 3,29%. At the time, the distributor requested a deferral of the adjustment in favor of stability, predictability and equalization of tariffs.
The goal was to mitigate the magnitude of the tariff effects until 2026, taking into the estimates, made by the concessionaire itself, of positive variation in values until then. “In practice, the regulator made Paraná consumers lend R$452 million to Copel-D”, recalls the director of TR Soluções.
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