From May 2022, gas bills will indicate not only m3, but also kWh. The new indicator will allow you to take into account the caloric content of fuel. To do this, consumers will not have to change meters.
Why do we need such calculations?
This innovation will allow the population to compare gas consumption in volumes with energy units and manage their own expenses more efficiently. Everyone will be able to decide for himself what it is profitable for him to heat his home – with gas or electricity, since the consumption will be carried out in a single energy unit (kWh).
In addition, the population will no longer have to pay extra money for low-quality coolant. The energy consumed will be taken into account, not the cubic meters spent. After all, more energy is obtained from higher-quality gas.
The transition to a new accounting system will simplify the import and export of fuel. This is one of the conditions put forward by the European Union within the framework of the association.
Ukraine buys gas in Europe in MWh, and then converts it into m3. But the caloric content of the gas is not constant, so the recalculation coefficient changes. This is where traders often suffer losses.
Who will make the calculations?
Regional gas companies will continue to calculate how much the consumer has to pay for gas. The calculation will be carried out according to a special formula: the consumed volume will be multiplied by the coefficient of heat of combustion for a given month, and the supplier’s price will be added to it.
Depending on the quality of the coolant, the heat coefficient will change. It all depends on where the gas is coming from.
All data will be entered in the billing. They can be viewed in the personal account of the consumer on the website of their regional gas.
How will this affect the cost of gas?
The new reform should not significantly affect the cost of gas for the population. But there are pitfalls here. Regional gas companies may exhibit a higher coefficient of calorific value than at present, and thereby affect the final cost of fuel.
Now in Ukraine, the average combustion index of 8229 kcal/m3 is used for calculations. But the new legislation will allow regional gas companies to take the highest coefficient of heat of combustion for calculations. And he is 20% above average.
As long as gas consumption is taken into account in m3, this indicator does not affect the price of the energy carrier. But when Ukrainians start paying for the energy consumed, their bills may increase by 20%.