{"id":1010,"date":"2021-11-05T10:09:41","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T10:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.audaxrenewables.it\/it\/mercato_libero_fc_2\/"},"modified":"2023-07-17T15:26:43","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T15:26:43","slug":"mercato_libero_fc_2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audaxrenewables.it\/en\/mercato_libero_fc_2\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Free Market help against high bill prices?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Can the Free Market help against high bill prices?<\/h1>\n

By Francesco CALABRETTA<\/p>\n

Cluster Leader Italy and Hungary Audax Renewables<\/p>\n

While leafing through a magazine I came across a sadly significant cartoon. The scene sees two people on the street, reduced to poverty, rummaging in a rubbish bin. One asks the other if gambling or some other addiction is at the origin of his downfall. To which the latter replies dryly: \u201cNo. I just left the light on."<\/p>\n

(Bitter) jokes aside, the theme of dear energy<\/strong> it will accompany us for a long time to come because it has profound causes that cannot be resolved quickly (I talked about it here<\/a>). It has to do with long-term issues such as the effects of climate change, an energy transition still to be implemented and geopolitical problems that are not immediately resolved.<\/p>\n

In Italy, there are a series of other additional elements - taxes, excise duties and charges - which weigh on the bill for us consumers.<\/p>\n

In this very complicated situation, perhaps there is a way to protect ourselves from the most serious effects free market<\/strong>. Although it has been active for a few years, it is not the only possible option, as it is still supported by a market with greater protection<\/strong>. A double path with which we will have to deal until January 2023 when, finally, the last extension foreseen by the Government will also expire. An extremely long wait, given that, originally, the transition should have taken place by July 2019. The only exception is SME companies which saw the protected market end at the beginning of 2021.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, according to the ARERA Authority<\/a>, The 57,3%<\/strong> of domestic customers opted for the free electricity market (+5% compared to 2019), while over 60%<\/strong> of families did it for gas.<\/p>\n

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\"Fig.<\/p>\n

Fig. 1 Electrical energy<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Fig.<\/p>\n

Fig. 2 Natural gas<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But let's see how the problem of high bills and the free market option are intertwined.<\/p>\n

In the comparison<\/strong> between protection and liberalized supply, an interesting fact emerges which has often been questioned by those who saw the free market as a further trap for consumers: that the latter's supply is more advantageous<\/strong>, bringing substantial savings into users' pockets.<\/p>\n

This time, it is an in-depth analysis of theSOS Observatory Rates<\/strong><\/a> conducted on the comparison between 200 free market offers. What emerges from the investigation? Two things:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n