After the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (FERK)accepted the request of “Elektroprivreda Bosnia and Herzegovina” (EPBiH) at the end of June, from Thursday the calculation of electricity consumption will begin at prices that are higher by 10.29 percent for households, i.e. 7.29 percent for crèches, kindergartens, homes for accommodation for pupils, students, elderly people, religious buildings, kitchens of humanitarian organizations and other customers from the category of other consumption.
Given that consumption depends on a number of factors, it is difficult to give precise estimates of how much the new prices will increase the monthly bills of citizens, but EPBiH General Director Sanel Buljubasic expects that for 85 percent of consumers, the increase will amount to about 2.5 BAM per bill.
However, the price increase will not significantly affect the rehabilitation of the debt of 331 million BAM in EPBiH. The company’s debt has been accumulating since 2009, when the concern was formed, so last year the mines within the concern ended with more than one billion marks in debt.
“This harmonization of EPBiH prices brings only 2.3 percent of annual income, so we have to turn to additional quantities of coal, create marketable energy surpluses, and hope that we can sell them on the stock exchange,” says Buljubasic.
Energy expert Almir Becarevic expects that household monthly bills will increase by up to 10 BAM.
“It is difficult to give estimates because citizens use different devices – heat pumps, inverters, ordinary air conditioners or they have nothing, but for those who constantly use air conditioners and have larger consumers in the house, the monthly bills will be higher by up to 15 BAM. Due to heating costs, it will increase expenses up to 150 BAM annually,” says Becarevic.
Economic analyst Zoran Pavlovic says that EPBiH is in trouble after investing significant funds in the construction of a new Thermoblock in Tuzla, which was abandoned before construction even began, and with the reduction of coal production, it was put in the position of having to find another solution.
“It is certain that energy participates in the production and services of everything around us, so this price increase will inevitably result in a domino effect. There will be an increase in the price, more or less, of all services and goods produced in BiH, because the rise in electricity prices is natural justification for the price increase,” Pavlovic points out.
