In 2018, the main public tariffs continued to rise. With the exception of telephone services (-0,6 per cent) and rail transport (-1,7 per cent), all the other 8 items examined by the CGIA Research Office have undergone significant percentage increases: in particular gas (+5,7), electricity (+4,5) and water (+4,3). The increase recorded by postal services (+2,7), tolls / parking meters (+2,1), urban transport (+1,6) was more contained. On the other hand, taxi fares (+1,2) and waste rates (+0,7 per cent) grew below inflation (+0,4 per cent).
“The increase in the cost of natural gas recorded in the last year - points out the coordinator of the CGIA Studies Office Paolo Zabeo - has certainly rekindled the prices of part of the main public tariffs. Nor should it be forgotten that the block on local taxes imposed by the Renzi government starting from 2016 has pushed many local administrations to raise money with their own multi-utilities, through the upward adjustment of the administered tariffs. As the data show, the combined effect of these two operations has had a very negative economic impact on households and businesses, especially in dealing with electricity and gas costs, which have always been the heaviest bills ".
All increases, those suffered last year, significantly lower than those that occurred in the last decade. If the cost of living between 2008 and 2018 grew by 12,5 percent, water recorded + 88,6 percent, postal services + 49,4 percent, tolls +38,3 percent and waste + 36,1 percent. Again in this period of time, among the 10 tariffs examined, only telephone services suffered a price reduction (-9,3 per cent).
"As announced by the Authority for Electricity and Gas last December - declares the Secretary of the CGIA Renato Mason - in the first quarter of this year the tariffs of the electricity bills will remain stable, while those of gas are destined to increase 2,3 percent off. It should also be noted that the much-needed liberalization of the captive market for both electricity and gas has been postponed by another year. Scheduled for next July 1st, it will start on the same day, but in 2020 ”.
As far as the water tariff is concerned, it is necessary to make a clarification. It is true that the increases recorded in Italy were very important, but it should be remembered that the average price per cubic meter in Rome, equal to 1,78 euro, is significantly lower than almost all the average rates applied in the main European capitals.
If we compare the weight of our tariffs with that of other European countries, the result that emerges presents lights and shadows.
Regarding the price of electricity for a family with an average annual domestic consumption between 2.500 and 5.000 KWH, for example, our country is in sixth place with a saving compared to the average figure of the euro area countries equal at the 5,9 percent.
For SMEs, however, things are much worse. In the euro area, only Germany has more “salty” rates than ours. However, compared to the average of the 19 countries that use the single currency, the average cost of electricity in Italy is 19,3 percent higher.
For gas, however, the average cost that weighs on an Italian family with a domestic consumption between 20 and 200 GJ (Giga Joule - unit of energy measurement) is the third among the 19 countries that use the single currency. Compared to the Euro Area average, we pay 7,9 percent more.
Our SMEs, on the other hand, pay the gas 13,1 percent more than the average of the countries analyzed.
Net of the quality of the service provided to travelers, especially in large cities, in Italy, from an economic point of view, using public transport is worthwhile. In comparison with the main European cities, in fact, the cost of a one-way bus, tram and metro ticket for a route of about 10 kilometers (or at least 10 stops) is the lowest ever. The average measured in Milan and Rome is about 1,6 euros. Nothing to do with the price charged, for example, in London (4,8 euros), in Stockholm (4,6 euros) and the average of Berlin-Frankfurt and Munich (2,9 euros).
Tickets among the least expensive in Europe even when we travel by train. The one-way trip in the second class for a stretch of at least 200 kilometers applied from the stations of Milan and Rome is on average 23,2 euro. Nothing to do with the euro 50,4 asked in Berlin-Frankfurt-Munich, with the 48,3 euro in London and the 32,3 euro in Paris.
