What has been shot is the rest of the bill

The receipt of natural gas becomes more expensive with the arrival of autumn. On October 1, a new upload of the natural gas receipt entered into force. The last resort rate (TUR) is scanned on average 13.2% in homes and between 12% and 20.1% in neighborhood communities, According to the resolution published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

The climb occurs in full start of the heating season, an especially sensitive moment for families that depend on gas to heat their homes.

More increases? Each quarter, the Ministry for Ecological Transition always updates the TUR. The mechanism is automatic: if the cost of the raw material varies more than 2%, the rate is updated. And this October, the combination of three factors has been decisive:

• Seasonal gas: each fall is incorporated into the calculation because in winter the demand increases. Only that component causes the cost of the raw material to shoot 24.9% compared to July.
• International markets: Actually, base gas has reduced 6.5% thanks to the Brent drop Already a stronger euro against the dollar. But that respite has been buried by seasonal surcharge.
• The tolls and regulated charges: that finance transport and distribution. According to the OCUthis year they have risen strongly, especially in the fixed term of the invoice, which in some cases has shot up to 43%.

In summary, although in the part of the international markets there has not been a disruptive change, the regulated adjustments and the entrance of the winter gas have ended up pushing the upward rate.

How much do I have to pay for gas? The answer depends on how much each home consumes. The regulated rate (TUR) is divided into sections according to the annual use, which allows to easily identify what rate corresponds to each case:

• Tur1: up to 5,000 kWh/year. They are normally homes that only use cooking gas or for the hot sanitary water. In this section, the fixed is € 3.93/month and the variable in € 0.045/kWh.
• Tur2: Up to 15,000 kWh/year. It is the most common rate in families that use gas for both hot water and heating. Here the fixed rises to € 8.11/month and the variable to € 0.043/kWh.
• Tur3: Up to 50,000 kWh/year. It is applied in large homes with intensive heating or in small businesses. The fixed is € 18.82/month and the variable drops to € 0.039/kWh.

In more practical data, According to the OCUan average home with 9,000 kWh a year goes from 553 to 619 euros per year, that is, 66 euros more in a single quarter.

On the other hand, in neighboring communities there are special rates (Tur4 to Tur11), ranging from 50,000 kWh to very high consumption. Here the increases are higher: from 12% to 20.1%. Tur4 rises 15%, Tur7 19.2%and Tur11 20.1%. The hardest blow will be received by those who use the gas for heating, since the fixed term is paid every month although it is not consumed.

Even so, the OCU emphasize that the Tur It is still cheaper than many free market rates, where some customers even pay twice.

Beyond the invoice. The increase in gas does not affect only the families that use it for heating or hot water. It also conditions the electrical system. After the blackout of April 28, Red Eléctrica reinforced the use of combined gas cycles to give stability to the network. And what was born as an emergency measure has become the new normality: when solar and wind generation falls, The support continues to put the gas.

This explains a paradox: Spain produces more renewable energy than ever, but not being able to store it sufficiently, gas enters to meet demand and ends marking prices. In other words: although the electricity and the gas invoice are different, the role of gas in the system makes both connected.

There will be more changes in the future. And we already count it in Xatakabetween 2028 and 2032 eight million gas counters will be replaced. The new ones will be intelligent, will allow real -time readings and reduce fraud, but they will also cost more: the rent will go from € 0.58 to € 1.10/month, about 6 euros more a year for each home. The government defends that, in the long term, it will be saved on consumption and emissions, but in the short term it will be another rise in the invoice.

The look set in January 2026. When the rates will be checked again. Everything will depend on the contribution of the gas, the euro against the dollar and the regulated tolls. But the context does not invite optimism, since the EU has extended the obligation to store 90% of the gas, which maintains pressure on demand. In addition, the Spanish electrical system will continue to need gas as supportat least until 2026, because there is not enough storage or intelligent networks. Finally, investments in digitalization and modernization (Accountants, batteries, micro -redes) will bring more fixed costs for consumers.

In short, the gas will remain a volatile terrain and, although the regulated rate continues to be the most competitive, it is not a safe refuge. The increase in this October recalls that energy continues to mark the pulse of the family economy and that, until there is a system capable of storing and taking better advantage of renewables, gas will continue to dictate the rules of the game and invoice.

Image | Freepik

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