{"id":1010,"date":"2021-11-05T10:09:41","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T10:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/it.audaxrenovables.com\/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:\/\/it.audaxrenovables.com\/en\/free_market_fc_2\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Free Market Help Against High Bills?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Can the Free Market Help Against High Bills?<\/h1>\n

By Francesco CALABRETTA<\/p>\n

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

Browsing through a magazine I came across a sadly significant cartoon. The scene shows two people, on the street, reduced to poverty, rummaging through a garbage can. One asks the other if the cause of his ruin is gambling or some other addiction. To which the other answers dryly: "No. I just left the light on."<\/p>\n

Jokes (bitter) aside, the theme of the expensive energy<\/strong> It will be with us for a long time to come because it has deep-rooted 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 that has yet to be set up and geopolitical problems that cannot be resolved immediately.<\/p>\n

In Italy, there are also a series of other additional elements \u2013 taxes, excise duties and charges \u2013 that weigh on the bill for us consumers.<\/p>\n

In this very complicated situation, perhaps there is a way to protect oneself from the most serious effects and it is called free market<\/strong>. Although it has been active for a few years now, it is not the only possible option, as it is still supported by a market with greater protection<\/strong>. A double path that we will have to deal with until January 2023 when, finally, the last extension provided 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 that 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 the gas one.<\/p>\n

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\"Fig.<\/p>\n

Fig. 1 Electricity<\/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 offer, an interesting fact emerges which has often been questioned by those who saw the free market as a further trap for consumers: that the offer of the latter is more advantageous<\/strong>, bringing substantial savings into users' pockets.<\/p>\n

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