Electricity price for business in Republika Srpska to increase from 31.3 to 35 eurocents per MWh

Electricity price for the 28 largest industrial consumers in Republika Srpska will be increased on September 1, from 31.3 eurocents per MWh to 35 eurocents per MWh, while supply contracts will be changed by a total of about 200 companies, the Government of Republika Srpska has said on its website.

As of September 1, a total of 1,174 industrial consumers connected to 110 kV, 35 kV and 10 kV power lines will have an obligation to choose their supplier, so power utility Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) has recently sent them new contracts. According to media reports, the the electricity price was supposed to go up by about 20% on average.

The companies demanded that the price hike be postponed and complained about provisions of the contract sent by ERS, so a meeting was held with representatives of the ERS in the Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska. After the meeting, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Radovan Višković said the new electricity price for the 28 largest consumers, consuming more than 5 MWh, would be 35 eurocents per MWh from September 1. He also said that there would be a change in the supply contracts for a total of 200 companies.

Višković said that industry in RS will still enjoy a competitive price for electricity.

The price per MWh in the Federation of BiH is 50 eurocents, compared with 58 eurocents in Serbia and 45 eurocents in Montenegro, he said.

Borko Đurić, president of the Chamber of Commerce of RS, said that it was agreed for the price to increase from 31.3 eurocents per MWh to 35 eurocents per MWh, and to remain unchanged over the next 16 months.

He said he expects that there will be no price increase over this period.

A few days ago, Luka Petrović, CEO of ERS, said that there are 24 companies in RS licensed for electricity supply, and that ERS wants to retain all 1,174 customers, adding that ERS had sent contracts with higher prices to about 200 consumers.

In March, Petrović said that the company is preparing to meet the obligations under the Third Energy Package that will enable ERS to operate on commercial principles.