Since January, electricity has become more expensive by 3,41 percent for almost all households in Montenegro

The price of electricity from January 2025 will be higher by 3,41 percent for all households with a two-tariff meter, the Regulatory Agency for Energy and Regulated Utilities (REGAGEN) announced.

Almost all households in Montenegro belong to this category.

The increase refers to the increase in regulatory allowed revenues for the Montenegrin Electric Distribution System (CEDIS), which was approved at the end of last year with application from January 2025, as well as for the partial reduction of the item for the Montenegrin Electric Transmission System (CGES), which REGAGEN made a decision about today.

Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) is not part of this increase in electricity prices, because it can make a decision to increase its account item - active energy at any time, without the necessary consent of REGAGEN, if its costs of production or purchase of imported electricity have increased.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said on November 1 that the price of electricity will not increase from January 2025.

In today's announcement, REGAGEN states that by the decision of that agency from February 24, 2022, it was established that the regulatory period for transmission system operators and distribution system operators lasts from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025.

"The decision on determining the regulatory permitted income and prices for the use of the transmission system of electricity for the period 01.01.2023-31.12.2025 ('Official Gazette of Montenegro', number 131/22), established the regulatory permitted income and prices for the use of the transmission system electricity for the year 2025, while the prices for the use of the system for other users connected to the electricity distribution system for the year 2025 are the subject of the Decision on determining the regulatory permitted income and prices for the use of the electricity distribution system for the years 2024 and 2025 (" "Official Gazette of Montenegro", No. 107/23)", reads the REGAGEN announcement.

From that institution, they added that assuming the application of the same electricity price set by the supplier in 2025 as in 2024, the aforementioned decisions would result in an increase in the monthly bill for:

• 1,08% for the average customer connected to the 35 kV voltage level;
• 4,52% for the average customer connected to the 10 kV voltage level;
• 7,60% for an average customer with power measurement connected to 0,4 kV voltage level;
• 4,84% for the average customer without power measurement with single-tariff measurement connected to 0,4 kV voltage level (households);
• 5,73% for the average customer without power measurement with two-tariff measurement connected to 0,4 kV voltage level (households).

"However, the above-mentioned percentage increase will not occur because the procedure for determining price corrections for the use of the system was carried out during the regulatory period. Namely, the Regulatory Agency for Energy and Regulated Communal Activities (Agency) started monitoring the work and operations of "Montenegro Elektroprenosno" at the beginning of July this year system' AD Podgorica (CGES) in terms of the realized revenues and operating costs in 2023, in accordance with Article 48 paragraph 1 point 1 of the Law on Energy, and in connection with Article 61 paragraph 2 of the Law on Energy of the regulatory allowed income of the Transmission System Operator and prices for the use of the system in the event that during the period of application of the established prices, the deviation of costs that the energy entity cannot influence, income from regulated activity, other income, depreciation and return on assets, is cumulatively greater than 10% in relation to the regulatory allowed income that is transposed into prices," the announcement reads.

REGAGEN stated that based on data and documentation submitted by CGES, it was determined that the conditions from the cited article were met, so on October 3, 2024, the Agency initiated the procedure for determining corrections during the regulatory period 2023-2025. year.

"Within the aforementioned procedure, a public hearing was held from October 23 to 30, and the participation of the interested public was ensured in the open part of the session of the Board of the Agency, which was held on November 18, when the Decision on determining corrections to the regulatory allowed income was made Operators of the electricity transmission system and prices for the use of the electricity system during the 2023-2025 regulatory period (Decision on corrections)", the announcement reads.

REGAGEN stated that the relevant decision determined corrections in the amount of 9.541.081,72 euros, in favor of users of the electricity transmission system, which will be applied in 2025, of which:

• amount of €4.062.810,18 refers to correction in favor of the electricity producer connected to the transmission system,
• amount of €5.478.271,54 na correction in favor of other users of the transmission system.

"The aforementioned corrections also affected the reduction of prices for other users connected to the distribution system, which were determined by the aforementioned Decision on determining the regulatory permitted income and prices for the use of the electricity distribution system for the years 2024 and 2025 ("Official Gazette of Montenegro" , number 107/23).However, since there was no change in the regulatoryly permitted income of the Distribution System Operator because the conditions for this were not met in Article 61 paragraph 2 of the Law on Energy, in 2025 there will be a certain increase in the prices for the use of the system for other users connected to the electricity distribution system compared to the prices in 2024," said REGAGEN.

They state that assuming the application of the same electricity price (determined by the supplier) in 2025 as in 2024, the application of the Decision on Corrections will result in a percentage-wise lower increase in the monthly bill in 2025 compared to 2024, i.e. the monthly bill will increase for:

• 0,62% for the average customer connected to the 35 kV voltage level;
• 2,46% for the average customer connected to the 10 kV voltage level;
• 4,51% for an average customer with power measurement connected to 0,4 kV voltage level;
• 2,93% for the average customer without power measurement with single-tariff measurement connected to 0,4 kV voltage level (households);
• 3,41% for the average customer without power measurement with two-tariff measurement connected to 0,4 kV voltage level (households).

"For the largest category of customers, the application of the corrections established in this procedure results in an increase in the monthly bill in 2025 for customers with average consumption from the household category with two-tariff metering by 1 euro compared to the bill in 2024, assuming the application of the same electricity price which is determined by the supplier as in 2024," concludes the REGAGEN announcement.