The gas counters we have at home are about to retire. Appliances that until now needed a technician’s visit to write down consumption – and that in most cases they have already overcome their useful life – will be replaced by intelligent others. The Government has set date: between 2028 and 2032, eight million homes must adapt to this transformation. The measure promises more transparency and control, but also an inevitable increase in the invoice.
Let’s go in parts. Because talking about More increases in the invoice It is a headache. The draft of the Order of the Ministry for Ecological Transition Mark a demanding calendar: In 2028 it will have to have been renewed 20% of the devices, in 2030 half and in 2032, eight out of ten. Only 2% can be fought, and with justification. And it is not a thing of a few: the measure will affect almost all homes, anyone who consumes less than 50,000 kWh per year.
How will it affect your pocket? The change will not be free. Today a home pays about 58 cents per month for the rent of its gas counter; With the new intelligent the figure will go to 1.10 euros, According to the CNMC. In practice they are between 46 and 52 more cents every month, about six euros a year, According to the ministry draft.
It is not the first time that happens. In 2017 the rental already dropped from 1.25 to 0.58 euros, and now rises again. The Government defends that the additional cost is lower than continuing to install analog counters and that, in the medium term, it will be compensated with savings: up to 800 million in 25 years, 586 million retail consumption of gas and 229 million for less CO₂ emissions.
A new way of consuming energy at home. Beyond the invoice, the new devices will transform the relationship of homes with energy. The new intelligent counters will allow remote and real -time reading, which will avoid visiting technicians and there will be no more invoices based on estimated consumption. Everything will be digitized, so each consumer can consult their consumption through a website or application, as already happens with electricity. In addition, you will have immediate information will facilitate reducing consumption and better plan the use of energy. Finally, and more importantly, teams will include manipulations and automatic notices detection functions.
In the words of Joan Batalla, president of Sedigas, cited by Forbesit is “a decisive step towards the digitalization of the gas system, with direct benefits for consumers in terms of control of their consumption, safety, energy efficiency and service quality.”
The pulse between Sedigas and the Government. The employer of the sector, thirsty, He has presented allegations to the ministerial draft. Although he supports the measure, he has put several challenges on the table. First, the cost since they estimate that the substitution will involve 200 million euros that are currently not recognized in the regulatory framework. Second, they ask that the monthly rate not only apply to homes, but to the entire Park of Digital Accountants, also in large consumption.
They have also contemplated that a more flexible calendar is necessary, with reviews every three years to adjust to the availability of equipment and the reality of the deployment. Finally, they have requested more forceful measures against equipment manipulation, with deterrent mechanisms and advanced detection systems.
The Ministry, however, defends its calendar and has suggested the possibility of sanctions, since the draft mentions “Potential penalties” for users who do not allow the replacement of their accountant.
The new star of the house. The accountant who has gone unnoticed in a corner of the kitchen or the portal is about to become a key piece of the energy transition. For homes, it will mean paying a few euros more a year, but also having much more precise control over its consumption. For distributors, a logistics and economic challenge of 200 million. And for the country, the opportunity to modernize the gasist system and move towards a more efficient and sustainable model.
As Forbes has summarized“With a balanced regulatory framework, Spain can be placed at the European avant -garde in digitalization of energy consumption.” The challenge will be, now, to distribute who pays that invoice.
Image | Unspash
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