Critical warning to electricity subscribers: '15 percent discount' may be more expensive

While the gradual reduction of the state-supported tariff limit applied by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) for residential subscribers led to more subscribers being covered by the Last Resource Supply Tariff (LCTT), the contracts offered by private electricity supply companies also became a matter of discussion.

According to the cost analysis conducted by the Chamber of Electrical Engineers (EMO), the "15 percent discount" offers offered by some companies door-to-door or over the phone may be reflected in a higher bill to subscribers than the standard market tariff.

MONTHLY AVERAGE 250 KWH LIMIT

The annual consumption limit applied by EMRA for residences within the scope of SKTT will be reduced from 4 thousand kilowatt hours to 3 thousand kilowatt hours as of January 1, 2027.

This limit corresponds to an average monthly consumption of 250 kWh.

According to EMO's evaluation, the monthly electricity consumption of basic needs such as refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher and lighting in a four-person household can reach approximately 230 kWh.

Therefore, if consumption exceeds the limit, subscribers will be able to switch from the state-supported national tariff to a cost-based tariff.

HOW DOES '15 PERCENT DISCOUNT' BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE?

According to EMO's analysis, the 15 percent discount offered by private supply companies is not calculated on the current state-supported tariff or the average electricity price in the market.

It is stated that the ceiling price, called the "Maximum Price Limit" determined in the legislation, can be taken as basis in the discount calculation.

It is noted that the ceiling price determined by EMRA as 4 thousand 500 TL per megawatt-hour remains above the free market prices except for extraordinary periods.

For this reason, it is stated that a 15 percent discount on the ceiling price can bind the subscriber to a contract at a price above the market average.

THREE DIFFERENT INVOICES FOR THE SAME CONSUMPTION

There was a remarkable difference between three different tariffs in EMO's six-month average cost calculation based on monthly consumption of 250 kWh.

While the average monthly bill was calculated as 839 TL in the state-supported national tariff, it was stated that this amount increased to 1,536 TL under the standard SKTT.

In the special contract offered with a "15 percent discount", it was calculated that the average monthly bill reached 1,923 TL.

Accordingly, a subscriber who switches to the contract in question can pay an average of 387 TL per month, or 25.2 percent more, compared to the standard market tariff.

Compared to the state-supported national tariff, the monthly difference goes up to 1,084 TL.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE "PRICE CEILING" EXPRESSION IN THE CONTRACT

Experts state that in contracts to be made with private supply companies, the price on which the price is calculated should be carefully examined.

It is noted that if contracts contain expressions such as "discount from the ceiling price" or "discount from the maximum settlement price", the offer should be compared with the current market prices.

14-DAY RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL WARNING TO SIGNERS

Experts state that consumers should take into account the 14-day period in contracts that have the right of withdrawal within the scope of the legislation.

In this context, it is stated that subscribers who meet the conditions can withdraw from the contract without giving any reason and without paying any penalty.

It is emphasized that consumers should carefully check the contract terms and withdrawal period in order to avoid possible victimization.