Thursday, 4th December 2008
New energy rates workings
Families will save €27 a year
Comparison between present and new bills
The revised energy bills should mean an average annual drop of €27 a year for the majority of households when compared to the original tariffs proposed by the government, according to an audit report leaked to The Times.
The fate of the latest deal struck over the energy bills is still in the balance as most of the unions in the bloc that negotiated the latest revision are still questioning the announced final version.
The figures showing the reduction were never published because the Malta Resources Authority is verifying the audit report drawn up by KPMG, the same audit firm which estimated how much the originally-announced bills would cost people on average. The report was seen by The Times and its workings are being reproduced in the tables on page 5.
When compared to the rates published by the Infrastructure, Transport and Communications Ministry on October 23, it emerges that one-person households will see their bills cut by an average of €10.95 a year over original proposals while the bills for two- and three-person households will go down on average by €22.94 and €21.62 respectively.
Four- and five-person households should see a decrease of €45.57 and €34.69.
The changes come on top of the 95 per cent surcharge already in place.
In fact, according to government estimates, a two-person household which consumes between 2,000 and 3,000 units annually until October paid €278.58 while now it will be paying about €403. Similarly, a three-person household that consumes between 3,000 and 4,000 units a year paid €430.12 until October and will see its bill to €549.68.
According to the Labour Party's workings, the new rates are equivalent on average to a surcharge of 185 per cent. The latest proposals were made public last week following a marathon meeting the Prime Minister had with unions in the wake of protests against the tariffs.
Following the talks with the unions, the government announced that an amendment to the service charge on residences will come into effect on January 1 rather than this October as originally announced. This will mean a further subsidy of about €2.3 million.
The amended proposals increase the eco discount on family households from 10 to 15 per cent and the threshold on the yearly discounted units from 1,500 to 1,750 per person.
The discount for singles increased from 20 to 25 per cent and their threshold rose to 2,000 yearly units from the previous 1,500.
The government is estimating that this will extend the eco reduction scheme to another 15,394 families, bringing the number of families who fall under it to 138,333, or 73 per cent of the total number of Maltese families: 190,342.
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Comments
Id dawl gholi
Il pitrolju gholi ukoll
il gass se jgholla wkoll.
il poplu ma jiflahx aktar imbaghad il politici li ma gewx eletti hadu somma kbira ta flus ghax qalu li qdew il poplu. Jew inqdew bil poplu ghax fuq kollox biex hargu ghal politika kienet decizjoni taghhom, hadd ma baghat ghalihom
You just cant save the 27 euros. Put them to pay the car licence.
While you are in a cosy home, please try to remember that outside there are families that cannot afford the way of living as you are enjoying. There are families that cannot afford to buy a new car; families that cannot afford to buy a solar heating equipment; families that cannot afford higher taxes; families that cannot afford going out Saturday evening. If you don't know such people, take my name as the first one in the list. Please don't create a recession in Malta with the tariffs that you are imposing on us. Open your mind and ears and hear what other nations have done to regenerate their economy.
I decided to say goodbye to my professional career 4 years ago for a noble cause to raise my own children. I have 2 sons whom I adore as every other mother on earth. How could ANYONE work out what is the best way to express my anger and frustration towards these disgusting tariffs imposed, PLEASE NOTE: when every other country is doing exactly the opposite of Malta, thus reducing the tariffs since fuel cost is now decreasing worldwide!!!!!!!!!!! No more excuses of "look at other countries" are applying now.
Please let us raise our children in peace & not in poverty!!!! Why should I be put in a position of having to return to work when I still have a 9 month old baby at home?
And in this situation, I know I am not alone...
The truth: We are only paying to mend mistakes made when we used to hear slogans: Money No Problem!!
Original water prices( these had remained unchanged) + the 184% surcharge (the equivalent of the new rates as ""revised"")
meaning---a bill of 50euro will go up to
50 euro (past price of utility)+
92 euro (equiv. to the new rates)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
142 euros
with the 50% surcharge before the election you would have paid ------75 euros!!!
BUT originally the government wanted you to pay a bit more (up to 27 euros)!!
And if the price goes up those 27 euros will have to be paid too!!
Bad news????? disastrous would fit the phrase better!!!!!!!!
If the government speaks the truth about the economy of Malta etc, maybe we can understand the situation better, but taking the piss of us, and we as idiots trying to figure out what's happening, is not fair!
Does this amount of money will save our families budget???
By the way First April is still far SO keep such headlines for that Day !!pls
It is just not right.
40,036 accounts were paying Euro 27.95, now will pay 73.88
14,313 accounts were paying Euro 45.06 now will pay 150.73
31748 accounts were paying Euro 115.31 now will pay 234.14
30,365 accounts were paying Euro 291.20 now will pay 455.13
Oh and tell them that the first figures include the 95% SURCHARGE the highest ever to date received by households!
Hopefully the Times can state that the title was a sarcastic one!
Up to some time ago everyone was under the impression that the surcharge will go down as the fuel prices went down. And look what happened, the exact contrary, the utility tariffs will rise. Obviosuly here the times is speaking only on the consumption and not taking into account the rent charges that will be increasing and the removal of the subsidy on water.
By the way, was this change ever mentioned in the Electoral Program.......maybe not, but on the other hand how do you expect the goverment to waist again the money for the rehabilitation of the Valletta entrance? Yes when they made that promised they just forgot to mentioned the way it will be financed.
Electricity (around a 100-150 euros over and above the 95% surcharge)
Water
Gas ( Rumour has it that there will be a 10 eur increase per gas bottle i.e. around 70 eur increase per annum)
Lisences (some will increase quite drastically)
Plastic bags (+0.15c if cuaght without a bag)
Drainage Tax (..on the way....)
VAT on medicines (.........on the way.....)
.......and all this in the light of a bad 2009 for Hoteliers and many factories who have already reduced the working hours for many of their workers!!!
The PN has lost its plot and is in a fit of panic!!! People I have come across who voted PN have lost faith and many others are in disbelief and shock!! There is a nationwide anger towards the party and many people have vowed not to vote PN again!!!
SHAME ON YOU for turning the PN into this unidentifiable "monster"!!!!!!!!
All I see is that there is an increase in every tier.
Also, as someone already mentioned, the more you consume, the smaller the % increase in the tariffs... is this what the government understands as "Polluter Pays"??
The comparative values are against the bills with 95% surcharge, when oil was bought at around $100-$120 a barrel... now that oil is well below $50 a barrel, why are the bills increasing and not decreasing?
How is it going to effect a retired family man who happens to have a 3 phase supply in his garage for his hobby, who consumes maybe 500 at the most units per year. Or someone who is in this category does ot qualify as a family. Is the meter charge for 3 phase reduced to a reasonable rate, or are all bona fide users of 3 phase cheating the government in income tax and Vat. Or is this country's justice that if there are a few thieves around we put everybody in prison. That is to say are the innocent to be penalised because of the guilty.
Norman
"Iz-zejt ma tmurx tixtrieh minn fuq l-ixkaffa ta' qisek qieghed ghand is-supermarket! Ahna nixtruh xahar b'xahar!"
And I challenge this minister to come out in front of Malta and tell us what was the price of crude oil one month ago. I really do not accept these type of headline from the TimesofMalta. We are supposed to be worrying about the type of politics being inherited to our youth instead of trying to excuse these stupid and selfish politics!
Our media should wake up, our young ones are flying very fast away from our local politics!
I feel we are being betrayed by this government.
Is this priveliged information?
If not where can we find them,
Thank you.
Where is the the more you waste the more you pay principle.
A family of 2 comsuming 4-5000 units annualy will see it's price rise by 22.5%, whreas a simliar family consuming 8-10,000 units will se it bill rise by only 6.5%.
Now how's that for justice?
Number of persons 4
Electricity ONLY
Total units 3711 charged Eur 206.41
Service Charge and Meter Charge Eur 27.88
Total charge without fuel surcharge is Eur 234.29
If I load 95% fuel surcharge instead the 50% that I was charged for the mentioned period the whole bill would have been Eur 456.87.
From the new energy rate workings listed above, will my next bill, if I consume same units be Eur 496.64? If so, than my increase is only Eur 39.77 in a year? Last thing I wish to know is whether the water and meter charge has gone up?
All this goes shows that Dr.Muscat and the PL were correct ALL THE WAY!!
The project is expected to help to cover demand for electricity in Malta and improve the quality of services. The generation of electricity with higher energy efficiency will also allow to achieve savings in fuel consumption and thereby to reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. The completion should be at 2010.
So by collecting 500 Euro from each of the working population per year for the next 4 years the Government will be able to pay the loan plus a10% overshoot of the original estimate!!
This revenue will be forthcoming from the increased of the electricity and water tariffs rates and meter rent, tax on the new LPG rates, car circulation tax, petrol and diesel price hike, new drain tariff and a controversial personal tax for oxygen inhalation and CO² discharge!
Next you will want to make me believe that two plus two make five.
Please stop taking the piss.
How about the surcharge, with oil reaching a low point, the surcharge should go down.
But the normal working force has to pay for the mistakes at Enemalta.
Good the Government gave us a few Euros pay rise... Not..... as these higher bills include the 95% surcharge, they give us here 10 and ther 10 but take a 100 somewhere else. Rest my case
I am for the polluter pays principle...
But I think that with oil under the USD 45 a barrel, prices should be even lower than prices with the 95% surcharge, not increase!!!
With one service provider - no competition and charging exorbitant prices, this is a MARKET FAILURE situation... EU take note!
are you serious?
If you are so rich that you can afford the increase then pay it, but many people cannot afford it.
J Busuttil
What about the thousands of taxes through VAT which we never had and were introduced by EFApn and Gonzipn?
are the 31 taxes still there ?
what we have right now at present is another burden adding to the worlwide crisis, adding to more expensive fuel (Only in Malta) more expensive auto licences, a possible sewage TAX (or tariff the end result is the same),
Why do you and people like you always forget the present and live in the past?
I don't care at all what somebody did yesterday but I am well worried by what someone is doing right now
(probably this will be censored as well since it is not in line with this paper's agenda)
Why on earth there is an increase?!!! There should be a decrease!!!
The dictatoral regime known as GonziPN has lost its bearings!!
If, say, a family of four consumes between 6000 and 8000 units annually, its bill goes up by 45 Euro (or 4.5%) while if the same family was "bil-ghaqal" and only consumed between 4000 and 5000 units annually then the increase in its bill would be 123 Euro (or some 22%)!!
I thought it's meant to get worse the more you waste!? Mela hallini ha nahli xbin!
Like in some shops charging more than they should so when the sales are here they make you think you are getting a bargain when actually you are paying what you should have been paying sale or no sale. so pull the other leg.
Saving is for energy consumers in Italy who will be paying 3000 euro less next year than they are paying now
Ask yourselves why we, common citizens, have still not been informed of the actual rates, and why we have been paying through a billing system so complicate as to make it beyond the comprehension of probably more than 73% of the total number of Maltese families. Oh! I forgot those are being taken care of by the state!!!
Why can not we have the definitive charges - i.e.,
Cost per Unit of Elec
Cost per meter rental per year
Cost per Unit of Water
Cost per meter rental per year.
As an aside, the "eco" discount scheme appears to just complicates an already over-complicated calculation.
On the other hand a one Person Household that consumed 8,000-10,000 units used to pay €1,514.71 and will now pay €1,613.05 i.e. a difference of €98.34
.....so my question is: Where is the "introduction of a progressive tariff system through which the more you consume, the more each electricity unit will cost."
If I were the guy to consume 10,000 units, another €98.34 will not make a difference and I would still consume the same.......promoting less waist.......mah
In the heading, the author of this article should have told us the difference between the current rates and the latest rates. And not tell us the difference between the rates first issued by the Government and those recently issued. Or should we read some other newspaper to get to know how much the rates have gone up???
Therefore, if it was not for the protest held by the Unions, "Families were going to be robbed 27 euros".
A small boy out walking on a nippy morning, like this morning, meets a burly arrogant man who tells him that he is going to hit his bare knuckles savagely with a stick for 1026 times. A kind hearted gentleman comes to the boy's aide and tries to persuadet he bully not to hit the small boy. The bully decides to hit the small boy for 999 times, and shoves the kind gentleman away. Another man, strolling nearby, informs the boy that he will be receiving 27 less hits on his knuckles and he should be grateful !
Whom should the little boy be grateful to ??
The bully who had his way?
The kind gentleman who did his best to lessen the boy's hurt?
The last man, probably in the service of the bully, adding insult to the injury suffered by the boy?
100 €. Great savings on something we have still to pay.
A family with 3 kids - nothing out of the world - 3 kids, consuming 4000-5000 units a year - nothing out of this world.
Let's calculate:
Before (95% surcharge): €525.76
New tariff structure: €622.57
An increase of € 96.81.
Where are the € 27 savings???
Example 2:
A newly-wed couple - no kids - consuming between 600 and 1000 units a year.
Let's calculate:
Before (95% surcharge): €48.35
New tariff structure: €155.07
An increase of € 106.72.
Where are the € 27 savings???
Example 3:
A family with 1 kid, actively seeking to save on energy and electricity - they buy (costly) energy saving gadgets, bulbs, type 'A' goods and they manage to consume a meager 600-1000 units a year! Nice feat!
Let's calculate:
Before (95% surcharge): €47.35
New tariff structure: €153.75
An increase of € 106.40.
Where are the € 27 savings???
Tell it to the marines Honorable Minister
And what if the allocation is exceeded?
Will the part exceeded or will ALL consumption be charged at the higher rate?
One thing for sure.
Conscienceless Gonzipn wants us to return to the Dark Ages while they bathe in riches (€290 per week salary INCREASE for them, €4 for us lesser mortals. They get 2/3 of the current salary as pension. We lesser mortals never do) .
Shame on you!!!
Shame on the Government for not publishing the new rates - lanqas li kienu s-sigriet ta Fatima! We definitely need more details on how the rates are going to be in the brackets
Rather than saying that Joseph Muscat is correct when claiming that the new rates are equivalent to a surcharge of 185%, it says that "Families will save 27 Euros a year"! Of course 27 Euros on the rates as proposed by the minister a few months ago, and not on the rates as they are now!
As the table confirms, most utility bills will almost double .... but this is less important than the fact that families fill save 27 Euros with these rates compared to Austin's initial proposal.
This is a perfect exercise in giving a nice title to a piece of very bad news. Journalism or political spin?