Almost a year after the introduction in the electricity market of “colored” rates and the dominance of the “green” special tariff – imposed by law to prevent another fiasco such as that with the “adjustment clause” – more and more consumers are now choosing the “blue” fixed tariffs.
As suppliers report, 70% of their new customers in recent months have signed six- or 12-month fixed-tariff contracts.
A simple comparison of the prices announced by the providers in their green tariffs for December and the prices currently available in the blue tariff market reasonably explains this trend of mass consumer movement. The price of the blue kilowatt-hour is up to 45% lower than the cheapest green tariff.
Based on data from the regulator, RAAEY, 18 blue tariffs of six or 12 months duration are currently available on the market with a monthly fixed fee from 3.50 to 11.90 euros, of which six have prices below 10 cents per kilowatt-hour and eight below 15 cents/KWh, which is the “target” price set by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for green tariffs, after subsidies.
Consumers simply choose the cheapest tariffs on the market, which are the fixed ones through which suppliers fight for market shares.
The suppliers’ customer-acquisition networks promote the fixed blue tariffs to which seven out of 10 customers respond. The first criterion for consumers is certainly the low price. Also decisive is the need to be free from the anxiety of searching for the cheapest tariff every month.
The blue rate offers a low fixed price for a period of six or 12 months, protecting consumers from fluctuations in the wholesale electricity price. In addition, they can calculate their annual electricity costs in advance. These are the main advantages of the fixed blue tariff that consumers duly evaluate in the current context of upward wholesale price trends and the many uncertainties.
Still, the locked fixed price offered is accompanied by additional costs and commitments that consumers must carefully evaluate before signing a contract.