MADRID, 7 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The average price of electricity for regulated rate customers linked to the wholesale market will drop this Wednesday by 9.28% compared to yesterday Tuesday, to 260.54 euros per megawatt hour (MWh).

In the auction, the average price of light in the wholesale market -the so-called 'pool'- stands for this Wednesday at 142.3 euros/MWh. Thus, the maximum price will be registered between 09:00 and 10:00, with 156.85 euros/MWh, while the minimum for the day, of 134.7 euros/MWh, will be between 04:00 and 05:00, according to provisional data from the Iberian Energy Market Operator (OMIE) collected by Europa Press.

To this 'pool' price is added the compensation to the gas companies that must be paid by consumers who are beneficiaries of the measure, consumers of the regulated tariff (PVPC) or those who, despite being in the free market, have an indexed rate, which for this Wednesday will be 118.24 euros/MWh.

In the absence of the 'Iberian exception' mechanism to cap the price of gas for electricity generation, the price of electricity in Spain would be around 302.63 euros/MWh on average, which is around 42 euros/MWh more than with compensation for regulated rate customers, who will thus pay 13.91% less on average.

The 'Iberian mechanism', which came into force on June 15, limits the price of gas for electricity generation to an average of 48.8 euros per MWh for a period of twelve months, thus covering next winter, a period in which energy prices are more expensive.

Specifically, the 'Iberian exception' sets a path for natural gas for electricity generation from a price of 40 euros/MWh in the initial six months --until December 15--, and subsequently, a monthly increase of five euros/MWh until the end of the measure.