A electricity bill it is a subject that always causes discomfort in the pockets of Brazilians. This is because the electricity tariff directly affects the budget of millions of people in the country, mainly low-income families. After all, do you know why we all pay such a high energy bill every month? We explain.
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We advance that it is not something simple to understand. Although Brazil has one of the best renewable energy sources in the world, there are several factors at play that contribute to our high values.
Brazil is a country that manages to generate energy in a clean and renewable way. More than 80% of electricity in Brazil is generated from renewable sources, while the global average is less than 30%. Despite this, consumers not only pay amounts related to the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, but also need to pay for other points. See some of them:
- Taxes;
- subsidies;
- Fees that fund public policies;
- Inefficiencies in the electricity sector.
All these factors contribute to making the energy bill increasingly expensive, weighing on workers' pockets. According to the Association of Large Industrial Energy Consumers (Abrace), only 53.5% of the value of the electricity bill was related to the generation and distribution of energy.
In short, consumers paid almost twice as much due to taxes and subsidies.
The biggest expense is the result of the Energy Development Account (CDE), which is considered a “black box” by the specialists, as it finances subsidies for several areas, such as regional development and sanitation, agriculture, coal and diesel. Another major expense paid by us is the electrical System Service Charges (ESS).
These charges cover the costs that the country has with thermoelectric plants, which are more expensive and polluting than hydroelectric plants. In relation to taxes, collection is made in all spheres. The Federal Government collects PIS/Cofins while the state collects ICMS. Municipalities receive the Contribution for Public Lighting, which guarantees lighting in the municipalities.
After all, what does the CDE cost?
Some public policies are funded by the CDE through the Brazilian electricity sector. Are they:
- Assistance to cooperatives and small concessionaires in the electricity sector;
- Discounts on electricity bills for low-income families in the country;
- Subsidy to distributed generation;
- Subsidies to national mineral coal;
- Subsidies to produce thermoelectric energy in locations in the national territory that are not interconnected to the national electrical system;
- Universalization of electricity service throughout Brazil.
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