connection to the power grid has risen in price by more than a hundred times

The cost of technological connection to power grids for the population after the abolition of benefits has increased by more than a hundred times, calculated at the Higher School of Economics. Since 2009, the fee has been kept at the level of 550 rubles. for 15 kW, and as of July 2023, the national average is about 75 thousand rubles. The new rules should reduce accidents in networks and contain the growth of tariffs, they say in the Ministry of Energy, noting the preservation of targeted benefits. Meanwhile, the current tariffs are 4-9 thousand rubles. per 1 kW, according to experts, still do not cover the real costs of the construction of power transmission lines and substations. So far, the main effect of the changes has been a reduction in the volume of connection orders.

The abolition of preferential technological connection (TC) to power grids has led to a multiple increase in the cost of services for the population. Since July 1, 2023, the total payment for 15 kW of connected capacity on average in the country amounted to about 75 thousand rubles, which is 136 times more than the previous preferential rate, follows from the report of the Institute for Economics and Regulation of Infrastructure Industries of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (IEiRIO). For the last 13 years, the payment for TP has been artificially kept at the level of 550 rubles. for 15 kW, but on July 1, 2022, the government canceled the benefit and began to set a minimum fee for 1 kW.

The regional regulator may raise the rate for TP in excess of the minimum threshold, but within 10 thousand rubles. The lion’s share of regions (50 constituent entities of the Russian Federation) keeps the specific payment for TP at the lowest possible level – 4–4.26 thousand rubles. for 1 kW. Among the regions with the lowest rate are the Irkutsk, Magadan and Omsk regions, as well as the Trans-Baikal and Perm regions. In 18 regions, the figure exceeds 6 thousand rubles, that is, the total payment for 15 kW is more than 90 thousand rubles. In the Moscow and Tver regions, the rate is close to the maximum (see chart).

The grid organization is obliged to connect household consumers at regulated rates at a distance of up to 300 m from the existing network in the city and up to 500 m in rural areas. If the objects of individuals are in close proximity to the network, then the fee will be lower and will include only the cost of “paper” and the organization of accounting, the Ministry of Energy explained to Kommersant.

Benefits for individuals have become more targeted: in particular, for large families, veterans and the poor, the tariff for TP is 1 thousand rubles. for 1 kW. Benefits are also provided to SMEs (up to 150 kW, the third category of reliability) at a distance of 200–300 m from the network. The rest of the entrepreneurs fully pay for the construction of the “last mile”, the Ministry of Energy notes.

Despite a significant increase in rates, the new level of payment for TP for the population still does not compensate for the real market cost of connection, says Artem Koval from IE&RIO.

The economically justified price of TP is calculated based on the standardized rates set by the regulator.

From July 2023, in most regions, the rates cover organizational and technical expenses (on average 14.6 thousand rubles in the country with VAT) and the installation of electricity meters (28.1 thousand rubles), however, on average, only 15.6 m of power transmission line, and there are no funds left at all for the construction of a transformer substation (on average – 484 thousand rubles), says Mr. Koval. As a result, network companies have shortfalls in income, which have to be included in business tariffs.

The head of Rosseti Andrey Ryumin in an interview with Kommersant said that the cost of TP is in the range of 5-8 thousand rubles. for 1 kW – “non-market”, and the real price is more than 10 thousand rubles. for 1 kW (see “Kommersant” of June 27). According to his estimates, over ten years, up to 40 GW of capacity was created for preferential transformer substation, of which about 12% is in demand. The increase in fees has already led to a decrease in the number of applications for connection – “people apply for the volume that they really need.”

The Ministry of Energy adds that the new rules for calculating rates for TP “will allow removing the obligation from already connected consumers to pay the costs of network organizations” for connecting new subscribers as part of the final electricity tariffs.

Innovations can also “create a basis for the modernization of distribution networks, which will improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply and reduce the number of accidents.” However, as follows from the EE&RIO study, not all regions are trying to limit the demand for unprofitable TP. In the constituent entities of the Russian Federation with the largest share of revenue shortfalls in tariffs, including Khakassia, Kamchatka and Karelia, the TA rate is set at the lowest possible level.

Polina Smertina