State Duma deputy called the advantages of progressive electricity tariffs

The topic of cryptocurrency in Russia has not lost its relevance for many years. The notorious bitcoins excite the minds of entrepreneurs dreaming of easy money. Today, to organize an underground mining farm, you need nothing at all: knowledge published on the Internet, equipment and a room with connected electricity. There is no law regulating the production and circulation of cryptocurrency in the country yet, crypto miners are willing to use it.

Given that in a number of regions of Russia, electricity prices are more than affordable, only lazy people are not fed into mining. Nicknamed by the people as the Russian capital of the cryptocurrency, Irkutsk every year is increasingly feeling the interest of citizens in digital money. Excessive load on the power grid often leads to interruptions in the energy supply of citizens. Often clandestinely organized farms for the extraction of crypts ignite and lead to terrible fires. At the same time, the authorities have found a way out of this difficult situation – these are differentiated tariffs for electricity. In an interview “Independent newspaper” Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Energy Committee Natalia Nazarova revealed the main advantages of introducing this measure in the country.

Growing scope of the problem

In recent years, electricity consumption has increased significantly in Irkutsk and other regions. Experts studying this anomalous growth have come to the conclusion that the growth is mainly due to underground crypto miners.

“When we start to analyze why consumption is growing so rapidly, it turns out that electricity is not used to heat houses, light or operate household appliances like a refrigerator and TV, but to an illegal business – cryptocurrency mining. It turns out that legal entrepreneurs should subsidize the business of individuals hidden under household consumption through energy tariffs,” Natalya Nazarova notes.

As a result, residents are faced with regular blackouts and breakdowns in energy infrastructure, which are especially critical during the harsh Siberian winters. In addition to provoking accidents and fires that are dangerous to life and property of citizens, miners often take up all the power of the power grids allowed for the settlement. As a result, new users are deprived of the opportunity to bring light into their country house. The design capacity of the networks was not designed for such a volume of consumption during the construction of infrastructure.

What is the meaning of differentiated tariff?

The way out of the situation may be the introduction of individual tariffs for electricity by the regions, based on the volume of its consumption. The measure will kill two birds with one stone: curb the appetites of underground miners and deprive residents of problems with power outages.

“One of the options approved by the government is the introduction of fair incentive tariffs for electricity with differentiation according to consumption volumes, so that consumption in excess of household consumption is paid for at full price. This will have a double effect: to limit the load on networks from miners and other gray entrepreneurs, and at the same time to reduce the amount of cross-subsidization,” explains MP Natalya Nazarova.

The authorities have already paved the way for the introduction of incentive tariffs in the regions. The government adopted Decree No. 2306 of December 16, 2021, according to which regions have the right to set electricity tariffs with differentiation according to consumption volumes. At the end of last year, changes appeared in the resolution, according to which regions can introduce a new reasonable tariff from December 1, 2022 and in any month of 2023.

Will ordinary consumers not have to overpay?

The authorities are confident that the new rules will affect only 1% of residents who consume electricity in excess of the norm calculated and established over many years. The rest of the citizens at the output will receive a stable power supply to their apartments, houses and suburban areas. Diphtarifs will also save residents from the constant fear of fires.

According to Natalia Nazarova, gray miners, as well as wealthy citizens, who will hardly notice the changes, will fall under progressive tariffs: “Most importantly, a differentiated tariff should not and will not lead to an increase in prices for 99% of the population. The increase in the cost of electricity should affect no more than 1% of the population – the richest who heat with electricity, for example, huge houses with swimming pools, and those who are engaged in gray mining.

It turns out that those who use too much energy will pay for the increased tariff. This will not only reduce the load on the networks from miners, but will also bring additional funds to the budget for the development of energy infrastructure.

Time for regional authorities to act

The increased interest in mining is visible to the naked eye. People do not know how to deal with this problem, and the number of related problems is growing every day.

The Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Energy called on the local authorities to pay attention to the difficulties that have arisen as soon as possible and take appropriate measures: “local authorities should hear people’s requests. After all, residents see accidents on power grids, fires that are arranged by miners. Especially often such messages come from garden non-profit partnerships (SNT), people are left without property, plus, this is a threat to the lives of neighbors. And, of course, the appeals of such people can be understood, no one wants to have neighbors who threaten your health and property. Therefore, the government has given the regions the right to decide for themselves what a fair tariff should be.”

Parliamentarians will have to seriously work on creating a legislative framework related to the mining of cryptocurrencies in Russia. In the near future, mining will be officially positioned as an entrepreneurial activity, regardless of the amount of electricity spent on this process. Obviously, the first step towards directing digital currencies into the legal field should be a fair electricity tariff. To date, incentive tariffs for electricity have already been introduced in Kuzbass.