PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVING THE RUSSIAN STATE WATER SERVICES TARIFF POLICY

Author(s): Agafonov D.V., Fayn B.I., Mozgovaya O.O.

Rubric: Environmental economics

DOI: 10.21777/2587-554X-2021-3-46-58

Release: 2021-3 (38)

Pages: 46-58

Keywords: district heat services, tariff regulation, “no more expensive than altermative sourches of heat” method, fee policy, pricing

Annotation: The state tariff policy in the field of district heating is the activity of government institutions aimed at the formation of an economically justified level of tariffs, which should ensure a balance of interests of all participants in the heat market. To this end, the authors of the article evaluated the current regulation methods and the results of their application. This paper reveals that until now, all segments of district heating have experienced economic and technological decline. Annual total losses for heat supply enterprises are estimated at 85–100 billion rubles. Investment and repair programs of heating grid enterprises are not able to provide normative values for the renewal of heating networks (actual indicators are two times lower than the standard). There is a low load of thermal power plants with a combined generation of electric and thermal energy (the installed capacity utilization factor (ICUF) is at the level of 30 %). This creates the prerequisites for an additional tariff load on consumers of centralized heat supply systems in terms of equipment maintenance. On the statistics basis, the authors determined that the tariff policy pursued by the state is not able to provide the necessary balance of interests in the heat supply markets. Therefore, the authors proposed a phased introduction of a new model for the functioning of heat energy markets with a fundamentally new method of setting tariffs using the “no more expensive than alternative sources of heat” method. It will make it possible to radically change the current difficult financial and technological situation in all segments of heat supply. In conclusion, the authors determined that with the new format of economic relations in the thermal energy markets, the regulatory environment will require new approaches to information disclosure standards in order to increase the transparency of the operation of industry enterprises.

Bibliography: Agafonov D.V., Fayn B.I., Mozgovaya O.O. PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVING THE RUSSIAN STATE WATER SERVICES TARIFF POLICY // Economics and Management. – 2021. – № 3 (38). – С. 46-58. doi: 10.21777/2587-554X-2021-3-46-58