The Public Services Regulation Agency of Espírito Santo (Arsp), which regulates the distribution of piped gas in the State of Espírito Santo, after a public consultation concluded in January 2023, approved, through Resolution ARSP 061/2023, the new readjustment dynamics in gas tariffs that guarantees the transfer of the value expressed in R$/m³ (reais per cubic meter) every quarter, for all segments, together with the creation of a graphic account that aims to balance any oscillations, to more or less, of the cost of gas within the quarter. This increases the transparency and fairness of the gas distribution tariff.

In accordance with the provisions of gas purchase contracts between ES Gás and its suppliers, the quarterly variation in the price of Brent oil and the dollar was calculated, which are the indexers of the contracted price. Thus, the cost of acquiring the molecule will be reduced, in accordance with Decision ARSP No. 002 of April 20, 2023, which establishes the new tariffs as of May 1. The approved reduction was R$ 2.6447/m³, after weighing the costs and calculating the result of the graphic account. All this considered, the reduction is equivalent to percentages that vary between -4% and -7.3% in the final tariff, depending on the consumption segment. The exact values of the change in price must be consulted by consumers, considering their specific consumption and the approved tariff table.

It is important to remember that the average natural gas tariff is made up of four items: the price of the molecule (57.1% of the tariff in the current approved table), the cost of transporting the input from the exploration and production points to the receiving points (10.1% of the tariff), where the distributors assume the task of sending it to final consumers, state and federal taxes – respectively ICMS and PIS/Cofins – (24.7% of the tariff) and the distribution margin ( 8.1%), which transfers ES Gás' distribution service costs and is approved by the Regulatory Agency.

The transfer of changes in the cost of the molecule and transport are made as provided for in the supply contracts; the distribution margin is readjusted annually for inflation and revised every five years, in accordance with Arsp regulation, and any changes in taxes are directly passed on to customers' billing.

“The reduction was motivated by the drop in the price of the molecule practiced by ES Gás suppliers, due to the change in the indexes of the supply contracts: the quarterly average of Brent oil (-8.7%) and the lower price of the dollar, when compared to the previous quarter (-1.1%), which were partially offset by the 0.8% increase in the average transportation cost for the same period”, explains Frederico Valle e Flister, Regulation manager at ES Gás.