Helping you to understand the changes

Helping you to understand the changes

The new regulatory framework modifies natural gas transmission, local network and regasification tolls, as well as gas system charges. However, you don't have to worry about anything, as the change is made automatically.

What are the tolls and charges of the gas system? How are they regulated?

The CNMC (National Commission on Markets and Competition) sets tolls for basic services to access gas facilities. These amounts are charged for using transport and distribution systems and natural liquified gas plants. The method used to calculated these tolls is established in CNMC Circular 6/2020.

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), establishes charges for use of the gas system, which are specific payments that users of these facilities must make to offset system costs that are not directly associated with their use. The method for calculating these charges is established in Royal Decree 1184/2020.

How will the tolls and charges change on 1 October 2021?

Once a year, the CNMC updates gas tolls and adjusts the Fixed Term and Variable Term amount for each toll tariff. This year, as well as updating the calculation of the amount, from 1 October, the following will change:

  • The structure and amount of tolls (tariff groups).
  • Gas system charges and the breakdown in the bill.

How do these changes affect the Tariff of Last Resort (TLR) for gas?

The Tariff of Last Resort (TLR) for gas, which is the regulated tariff that can be used for supplies with a consumption of less than 50,000 kWh/year, continues to change quarterly. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic challenge (MITERD) is responsible for updating it. The TLR always includes tolls and charges, so from 1 October, the MITERD will use the corresponding updated values to update it.

Any questions?

Here are the questions our customers ask most frequently.

Up until 1 October 2021, the tariff is assigned according to the level of pressure at which the supply is connected (high or low pressure) and the previous year's consumption. Those corresponding to consumers entitled to the TLR (low pressure supplies with a consumption of less than 50,000 kWh/year) are:
Tariffs Consumption
3.1 Below 5,000 kWh/year
Generally speaking, these are low consumption homes, without natural gas central heating but with hot water/cooking, or homes which have natural gas heating, but which do not use it much.
3.2 Between 5,000 and 50,000 kWh/year
Most homes with natural gas heating have this tariff.
Tariffs Consumption
3.1 Below 5,000 kWh/year Generally speaking, these are low consumption homes, without natural gas central heating but with hot water/cooking, or homes which have natural gas heating, but which do not use it much.
3.2 Between 5,000 and 50,000 kWh/year Most homes with natural gas heating have this tariff.
As of 1 October 2021, tolls will be determined solely by the volume of gas consumed the previous year. For consumers eligible for the TLR, the toll tariffs will be:
Tariffs Annual consumption
RL.1 Equal to or less than 5,000 kWh/year
RL.2 More than 5,000 kWh/year and equal to or less than 15,000 kWh/year
RL.3 More than 15,000 kWh/year and equal to or less than 50,000 kWh/year
To summarise, because there will be more tariffs, it will be easier to tailor prices to each customer's consumption, and tariffs will depend entirely on the customer's consumption the previous year (pressure level will no longer be a factor).

The new toll tariff will be assigned by the distributor based on the consumption recorded during the period from 1 July 2020 and 30 July 2021. If it is a new supply, the toll will be based on estimated consumption.

As of 1 October, we will notify you of the tariff assigned by the distributor in your bill. You can also check this information in My Client Area or in the Curenergía App.

The toll tariff will still be updated once a year by the distributor. However, as of 1 October, this will take place according to the "gas year", which runs from 1 October to 30 September.

The distributor will check your consumption for the previous year and assign the appropriate tariff accordingly.

Regulated costs, corresponding to tolls, system charges and other items, are included in the price of the Fixed Term and Variable Term of the Tariff of Last Resort (TLR) for gas.

As a new feature, from 1 October, it will be compulsory to show the system charges separately on each bill, so you will see a new line on the bill. Don't worry, it's not a new item and it was already included in the price, but now it will be shown separately.

All these changes are automatic. You do not need to do anything at all.

To summarise, the main changes are:

  • You will be assigned a new gas tariff. Because there are more tariffs, prices are more closely tailored to the amount you use.
  • You will see a new line in your bill for system charges. This is not a new item, it was already included in the price, only now it will be invoiced separately.