Slovenia temporarily freed small business customers and households from the obligation to pay for the support to producers of power from renewable sources and high-efficiency cogeneration. Additionally, the network charge has been significantly lowered, also as a response to the outbreak of COVID-19.

As part of the emergency measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic and maintain the financial stability of Slovenia, the new government suspended charging households and small enterprises for the support the state gives to producers of power from renewable sources and high-efficiency cogeneration. In the decree, it revealed the exemption, officially for the low voltage category, would last for three months until the end of May.

The cabinet of Prime Minister Janez Janša said the electricity bills in the said class would decrease by one fifth on average. Cogeneration is the combined production of heat and power or CHP.

Monthly electricity bills in the small voltage category will decrease by 27%, the Energy Agency estimated

At the same time, the Energy Agency temporarily cut the network charge by 33% for households and small firms in the same period. It estimated the exclusion the capacity charge, one of its three tariffs, translates to a drop in power bills of 27% together with the government’s suspension of the said surcharge.

Two weeks ago, the outgoing government regulated the category of small green power facilities and devices with a decree. It decided that advanced combined units for heat and power with the capacity of 50 kW at most, solar power plants of a maximum of 1 MW and wind turbines not stronger than 50 kW don’t require a building permit.

The bylaw, intended to ease the administrative burden, came into force on March 21. It excludes units for self-consumption. The country must achieve binding targets for electricity generation from renewables or it will face high fines.

Of note, Slovenia’s power transmission and production companies have reacted to the coronavirus outbreak with emergency measures.