Who benefits from tiered electricity prices? Although electricity is a commodity, the more it is used, the lower the price should be. Now people cannot live without electricity, so the price has chan

Who benefits from tiered electricity prices? Although electricity is a commodity, the more it is used, the lower the price should be. Now people cannot live without electricity, so the price has changed. What...

The specific content of the stepped electricity price is:

The first step is the base amount of electricity. The electricity in this step is less and the electricity price is also lower;

The second step is the base amount of electricity. The electricity on the third ladder is higher and the electricity price is higher;

The third ladder has more electricity and the electricity price is higher.

As the average household consumption of electricity increases, the price of electricity per kilowatt hour increases step by step. Implementing step-by-step electricity prices for residential electricity consumption can improve energy efficiency. By segmenting electricity, differential pricing in market segments can be achieved and power consumption efficiency can be improved. and can subsidize low-income residents. Because this kind of electricity consumption requirement that takes into account the minimum living standards of low-income people is also commonly known as "poor people's electricity price."

Reasons for implementation

The relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission said that the prices of my country's resource products are seriously low, which is one of the important reasons for the extensive operation and serious waste in the processing industry. Therefore, the price of resource products fully reflects the scarcity of resources, supply and demand relations and environmental costs, which is an inevitable way to transform the development mode and achieve healthy and sustainable economic development. The direction of resource price reform is to gradually establish a price mechanism determined by market supply and demand. In recent years, the pace of market-oriented reform of electricity prices has been greatly accelerated, and a scientific, reasonable, open and transparent government pricing system has been initially established. The National Development and Reform Commission will also actively and steadily promote the marketization process of electricity prices, and plans to continue to optimize the classification structure of sales electricity prices, reduce cross-subsidies, and establish an electricity price system that is conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction, and guides users to use electricity rationally.

Development Overview The country has initiated electricity price reform in a timely manner. Cao Changqing, Director of the Price Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, introduced on November 22, 2009 that foreign residential electricity prices are generally 1.5 to 2 times higher than industrial electricity prices. Our country has long implemented a low-price policy for residential electricity. Last year, the national average price of electricity for residents was about 0.5 yuan per kilowatt-hour, which was lower than both industrial electricity prices and the average electricity price. The price of electricity for foreign residents was equivalent to RMB 1 to 1.5 yuan. (The difference between the wages of ordinary residents in my country and foreign countries cannot be compared, but electricity prices can be compared.) my country's current low electricity prices for residents are mainly achieved by increasing the price of industrial and commercial electricity to share costs. He believes that if electricity prices are not gradually rationalized, in the long run, it will not only increase the burden of electricity consumption on industrial and commercial enterprises, affect our country's economic competitiveness, but also lead to more subsidies for households with good economic conditions and more electricity consumption, and poor economic conditions. , the unreasonable distribution of subsidies for households with less electricity consumption will be smaller. This kind of secret posting is unreasonable and unfair.

Some analysts also believe that the recent economic recovery while PPI and CPI are still at low levels is a suitable time window to promote resource product price reform. The current low price index level leaves room for resource product price increases. The good economic growth situation and low inflationary pressure are undoubtedly a good time to promote resource price reform. Tiered electricity prices will be rolled out

Due to the large differences in natural conditions, living habits, and residents’ financial affordability across our country, the country will not use a “one size fits all” approach to determine the unified monthly basic living needs of residents across the country. The amount of electricity used by each household for basic living needs per month will be determined by each province based on local actual conditions.

At present, Zhejiang, Fujian and Sichuan provinces have implemented stepped electricity prices for residential electricity. Taking Zhejiang Province as an example, the electricity price for residents in Zhejiang Province is divided into three "ladders" - if the monthly electricity consumption is less than 50 kWh, the electricity price is 0.538 yuan/kWh, of which the peak electricity price is 0.568 yuan/kWh and the off-peak electricity price is 0.288 yuan/kWh; 51 For electricity consumption between 200 kWh and 200 kWh, the electricity price is increased by 0.03 yuan/kWh to 0.568 yuan/kWh, of which the peak electricity price is 0.598 yuan/kWh and the off-peak electricity price is 0.318 yuan/kWh. For electricity consumption exceeding 200 kWh, the electricity price is higher than the basic electricity price. Increased by 0.10 yuan, that is, 0.638 yuan/kWh, of which the peak power price is 0.668 yuan/kWh and the off-peak power price is 0.388 yuan/kWh. When the total peak and valley electricity consumption exceeds 50 kilowatt-hours, the excess electricity will be billed at the "second tier" price, increasing in sequence.

“It will not be adjusted in 2009. It should be in 2010. Specific procedures must be followed, such as cost supervision and price hearings, etc.” said the relevant person in charge of the Provincial Price Bureau. But the "red line" was not disclosed.

Stepped electricity prices are the direction of development. The statement of the National Development and Reform Commission that "87 kilowatt hours of electricity per household per month" has aroused widespread concern in the society. Where should the "red line" for residents' daily electricity consumption be drawn and who should draw it? become the focus of discussion. Through these debates, it can be seen that the current residential electricity price reform is imminent.

On November 19, 2009, a draft issued by the Price Department of the National Development and Reform Commission formally stated the reform of residential electricity consumption as follows: "It is planned to implement residential electricity consumption reform in my country on the basis of in-depth research and demonstration. "Preliminary consideration is to divide the monthly (annual) electricity consumption into several grades for urban and rural residential electricity users who implement the "one household, one meter" policy, and implement a lower level for the basic electricity demand part. The specific electricity price will be higher for electricity that exceeds basic needs. The details will be put forward by each locality based on local actual conditions and after full demonstration, and the hearing procedures will be strictly followed and implemented after approval."

Since November 20, 2009, the national non-residential electricity price has been increased by an average of 2.8 cents per kilowatt hour. According to the spirit of the National Development and Reform Commission meeting, it is planned to launch stepped civil electricity prices in some pilot areas in 2010. Relevant plans are being formulated and Prepare for hearing.

There are already international precedents for implementing tiered electricity prices. After the oil crisis in the 1970s, some areas in Japan, South Korea, and the United States adopted a stepped electricity price approach for residential electricity consumption. Residential electricity consumption was priced in tiers. The less electricity used, the lower the price. The higher the price. In this way, it can not only reasonably reflect the cost of power supply, but also take into account the affordability of residents with different income levels.

1. Japan’s tiered electricity prices are based on time and place.

Japan began to implement tiered electricity prices for residential electricity in June 1974, dividing electricity prices into three grades according to electricity consumption. Electric power companies in various regions have slightly different pricing for each level. Taking Tokyo Electric Power Company as an example, the first level is 120 kilowatt-hours, and the electricity price per kilowatt-hour is 17.87 yen (approximately RMB 1.45). This is the electricity consumption necessary to ensure basic life. The second level ranges from 120 kilowatt-hours to 300 kilowatt-hours, priced at 22.86 yen (approximately RMB 1.9) per kilowatt-hour. The electricity price is the same as the average cost of power generation. The third stage is above 300 kilowatt-hours, priced at 24.13 yen (approximately RMB 2) per kilowatt-hour to promote energy conservation.

In recent years, Japanese residents’ electricity bills have also introduced items such as basic electricity rates, fuel fee adjustments, and surcharges for promoting solar power generation. In addition, in order to encourage off-peak electricity consumption, Tokyo Electric Power Company also implements time-of-use electricity prices. Late-night electricity prices from 23:00 to 7:00 the next day are relatively low.

2. The tiered electricity price in the United States is divided by month and location

The U.S. electricity pricing mechanism began to implement the tiered electricity price charging mechanism in the mid-1970s. One of its major features is that in the tiered pricing Basically, a dual-track price system is implemented for summer and winter. In summer, the demand for electricity is large and the price is slightly higher. In winter, when demand is low, pricing is slightly lower.

Generally speaking, the monthly electricity bill issued by American electric power companies to each household includes fixed items such as basic charges, fuel charges, consumption tax, state taxes, and power distribution charges, power generation charges, and power transmission charges. and other items calculated based on electricity consumption. By adding up the charges calculated based on electricity consumption, the tiered electricity price standard for a certain area can be obtained.

A report released by the U.S. Energy Information Center in January 2010 showed that in 2008, the average monthly electricity consumption per household in the United States was 920 kilowatt-hours, the average electricity price was 13 cents/kilowatt hour, and the average monthly electricity consumption per household Pay the electric bill $106. Taking Pennsylvania as an example, in the summer from June to September, the electricity price per kilowatt hour for electricity consumption within 500 kilowatt hours is 14.72 cents, and the electricity price for electricity consumption above 500 kilowatt hours is 16.74 cents per kilowatt hour. In the winter from October to May, electricity costs a flat 14.63 cents per kilowatt hour.

However, there is sufficient competition in the U.S. electricity market. Different companies implement different charging systems, and electricity prices vary greatly among states in the United States. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Center, the most expensive state in the United States in 2008 was Hawaii, with an average of 29.2 cents per kilowatt hour, followed by Connecticut at 16.95 cents, and New York ranked third at 16.74 cents. By comparison, West Virginia has the cheapest electricity in the United States, with an average price of 5.59 cents in 2008.

Pricing adjustment plan

The residential tiered electricity price is priced according to the user's electricity consumption. The electricity price will show a step-by-step electricity price pricing mechanism as the electricity consumption increases. The National Development and Reform Commission divides the monthly electricity consumption of urban and rural residents into three levels based on meeting basic electricity needs, normal and reasonable electricity needs, and higher quality of life needs, and the electricity price is increased in stages.

Price adjustment plan

In principle, the first-tier electricity price will remain at a relatively low price level. Moreover, the National Development and Reform Commission promised to maintain basic stability within three years and not raise electricity prices. The second level of electricity price is the electricity price in the initial stage, which is increased by about 10% on the current basis. The third level is to raise the standard to no less than 0.2 yuan per kilowatt hour in the initial stage. In the future, it will be adjusted according to the principle of slightly higher than the second level price adjustment standard.

If residential tiered electricity prices are implemented, overall, the electricity bills of 70% to 80% of residents, including low-income and families with financial difficulties, will remain basically stable and will not change. It will only increase if the electricity consumption exceeds the starting electricity consumption prescribed by the state.

The National Development and Reform Commission has provided two plans this time: according to the first plan, the basic electricity consumption is about 110 kilowatt hours; according to the second plan, the basic electricity consumption is 140 kilowatt hours. . According to plan one, if a family consumes 300 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month, its monthly electricity bill will increase by 23 yuan; if based on plan two, its monthly electricity bill will increase by about 13 yuan and 90 cents. money.

The National Development and Reform Commission stated that the overall framework and guiding opinions of the electricity price ladder policy are formulated by the state, and then each locality will determine the specific price based on its own economic development level, residents' income and electricity consumption levels. implementation plan. And before the plan is implemented, a hearing will be held to extensively solicit the opinions of local people. The draft for comments will be released starting today and will end on October 21, 2010.

Comprehensive trial operation

On the morning of June 14, 2012, the National Development and Reform Commission announced at a press conference on tiered electricity prices that the hearings in 29 provinces and municipalities have ended, and various regions will gradually introduce tiered electricity prices. The electricity price implementation plan will be implemented nationwide on July 1.

The National Development and Reform Commission stated that most provinces have increased the first-tier electricity consumption. According to the currently determined plan, the first-tier electricity coverage rate in most areas exceeds 80%, and in some areas exceeds 90%. The formation of my country's tiered electricity price policy took four years. Research began in 2008, and preliminary guidance was formed in 2010. Opinions from all sectors of society were publicly solicited through the Internet. Since May 2012, various localities have held hearings on the implementation plan to further listen to social opinions and improve the plan.

Importance

The National Development and Reform Commission issued a review on the "resident tiered electricity price" and stated that the establishment of a "more users pay more" tiered price mechanism will help form a society that saves energy and reduces emissions. knowledge and promote the construction of a resource-saving and environment-friendly society.

The National Development and Reform Commission stated that since the reform and opening up, along with the sustained and rapid development of my country's economy and society, a series of challenges such as resource constraints, environmental pollution, and climate change have followed one after another. Establishing a "multiple users pay more" ladder price mechanism will help to form a social awareness of energy conservation and emission reduction, and promote the construction of a resource-saving and environment-friendly society.

Our country is a country with a large population and very scarce per capita energy resources. Among the major energy resources, the per capita reserves of oil and natural gas are less than 1/10 of the world average; the per capita water resources are only 1/4 of the world average. Even for relatively abundant coal, per capita reserves are less than 40% of the world average. Since 2000, my country's energy consumption has grown at an average annual rate of about 8%, of which electricity consumption has grown at an average annual rate of about 12%, natural gas at about 20%, and oil at about 7%. If no new energy sources are discovered that can be widely promoted, based on the current consumption rate, the remaining recoverable years for oil in my country will be less than 15 years, for natural gas 39 years, and for coal 108 years. At the same time, environmental problems caused by massive energy consumption have become increasingly prominent. For example, sulfur dioxide emitted by thermal power accounts for 42.5% of total emissions, and carbon dioxide accounts for 50% of total emissions. Environmental pollution problems are very prominent. Therefore, energy conservation, emission reduction, and transformation of development methods have become the only options to achieve sustainable development in our country, benefit the present generation, and benefit future generations.

Under the conditions of the socialist market economy, promoting the transformation of development methods and energy conservation and emission reduction mainly rely on economic means, and the price mechanism is the most important economic lever. In recent years, this has been proven through the implementation of desulfurization electricity prices and differential electricity prices. By setting higher prices for desulfurization power generation, thermal power companies were encouraged to transform processes and install desulfurization equipment. At the end of the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan", the proportion of desulfurization installed capacity in coal-fired power plants in my country increased from 17% in 2005 to 86%, and sulfur dioxide emissions per unit of electricity decreased. 50%. During the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" period, the implementation of differential electricity price policies for high-energy-consuming industries effectively restricted the blind development of high-energy-consuming industries and promoted the upgrading of the industrial structure. my country's energy consumption elasticity coefficient (average annual growth rate of energy consumption/average annual growth rate of national economy) dropped from 1.04 during the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period to 0.59, and energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped by 19.1% cumulatively.

The residential tiered electricity price system is another practice of using price leverage to promote energy conservation and emission reduction. Due to historical reasons, my country has long implemented a cross-subsidy system in which industrial electricity prices subsidize residential electricity prices. From the perspective of my country's residential electricity consumption structure, 5% of high-income households consume about 24% of the electricity, which means that the benefits of the low electricity price policy are enjoyed more by high-income groups. This is not conducive to social equity, but also contributes to the waste of power resources. By dividing the first, second and third levels of electricity and significantly increasing the electricity price of the third level, while promoting social equity, it can also cultivate the public's awareness of saving resources and protecting the environment, and gradually develop the habit of energy conservation and emission reduction. In South Korea, in order to avoid entering the high electricity price range, most Koreans unplug their household appliances when not using electricity. The impact of price leverage on people's consumption behavior can be seen from this.

Judging from the long-term development trend and the current resource and energy supply and demand situation faced by our country, the economic development model that our country can choose in the future can only be "high scientific and technological content, good economic benefits, low energy consumption, and less environmental pollution" . Whether or not this goal can be achieved is closely related to whether the national consciousness of saving resources and protecting the environment can be formed as soon as possible. Of course, forming a strong awareness of energy conservation and emission reduction in the whole society will not be achieved overnight. Implementing tiered electricity prices for residents is only the first step. Natural gas, tap water and other resource products are facing similar problems to electricity. Therefore, it is time to use price levers to leverage the formation of awareness on energy conservation and emission reduction.

Related comments

Although this price adjustment will be lenient to the civilian power grid, an increase in residential electricity prices is imminent. The National Development and Reform Commission has made it clear that residential electricity prices are seriously low, but is not prepared to adopt a "one size fits all" approach. "Instead of raising prices (when will wages be raised as well), we will implement a relatively fair step-by-step increase in electricity prices for residents' daily use. This cannot but touch the sensitive nerves of ordinary people. For ordinary people, whether they have to pay more for electricity depends on the "first-tier" electricity base. According to Cao Changqing, director of the Pricing Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, the tiered electricity price is planned to reduce the electricity consumption of residents. It is divided into three levels: electricity for basic living needs, electricity for normal family life and luxury electricity. Experts analyze that the "first step" may be 87 degrees per household per month. There is a realistic version of the tiered electricity price. The pilot province Zhejiang stipulates that the "first tier" is 50 kilowatt-hours; the second tier is between 51 and 200 kilowatt-hours, with a price increase of 3 cents per kilowatt-hour; and the third tier is above 200 kilowatt-hours, with an increase of 1 cent per kilowatt hour. The tiered electricity price is determined by each locality. The author believes that even if 87 kilowatt-hours is used as the "first tier", it is still low. For a family of three to use electricity for cooking, boiling water, lighting, and refrigerators, 87 kilowatt-hours per month is not enough. The four items should be considered basic living electricity needs. The vast majority of households will enter the "second tier" and it is imperative to pay more for electricity. If the "first tier" electricity price is raised further on the current basis, the masses will pay more. . Compared with the "one size fits all" electricity price, the stepped electricity price reflects that the more electricity you use, the more you pay. The more electricity you use, the higher the electricity price. It should be said to be more fair and reasonable. However, to ensure a fair system that benefits the majority of the people, the detailed design still needs to be scientific and reasonable. The stepped electricity price should be an inclusive electricity price. How can it reflect inclusiveness? The key is to determine the "first-tier" electricity base, which should benefit at least 70% to 80% of ordinary households and ensure that they are not affected by the increase in electricity prices. According to reports, Zhejiang stipulates that 50 degrees only protects less than 10% of the lowest-income people. , most people will pay for the price increase.

Based on the experience of living at home, some people believe that it is more reasonable to set the "first step" at 100 degrees, which requires a screening of the scope of basic daily electricity consumption. The author believes that electricity for cooking, boiling water, lighting, and refrigerators are included in it. It is not an exaggeration. The more working-class people eat at home, the more electricity they use for basic living. The government should face up to this situation when formulating the "first-tier" electricity consumption standards. The National Development and Reform Commission has decentralized the power of tiered electricity prices and requires the introduction and implementation of policies based on in-depth research and demonstration. The author recommends that various localities conduct extensive surveys and fully listen to the opinions of citizens before formulating tiered electricity price policies, especially determining the "first tier" electricity consumption. When setting the base figure, the interests of most working-class families are taken into account.