Capping energy prices: tips and experience

The first reports on the assessment of excess financial benefits were submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Trade by large enterprises before 30 April 2023. If enterprises did not exceed the absolute public aid limit for category A-E and wished to remain in the capped energy price regime, they had to submit new declarations to their energy supplier for each commodity (electricity and gas).

In addition to the video guide for filling in the reports on the assessment of excess financial benefits for large enterprises in the AIS MIT published by the ministry in the second half of April, we offer the following practical knowledge and tips that can make your work with further evaluation and preparation of the report easier:

1. Reports in the AIS MIT system copy the template specified in the government decree exactly. Large enterprises will thus only fill in the final data for individual commodities and supply points. No template was published to facilitate the actual calculation for large enterprises. It is therefore necessary for enterprises to create a source file with the calculation themselves, e.g., in MS Excel, and have it available for any future inspection to demonstrate the calculation process. 
2. In the report, the actually generated financial benefit is entered separately for each supply point.
3. However, eligible costs for categories B to E shall be calculated cumulatively for all supply points, and separately for electricity and for gas. Therefore, a large enterprise shall include all supply points in the calculation of the eligible costs for each commodity. Subsequently, in the AIS MIT system, the enterprise will only enter the calculated value of the average unit price of the commodity for all of 2023, the average unit price for 2021, and the value equal to 70% of the consumed commodity quantity for 2021.
4. After reporting the aggregated data for electricity and gas together, most of the calculation indicators are calculated automatically. Large enterprises shall then only enter information about the selected category A-E, other received support, or the total payment of financial benefits for the previous period, etc.
5. After completing the report, it is necessary to generate a pdf file to be signed by the authorised representative. There are three options for signing the document: electronically directly in the AIS MIT system (in which case it is necessary to download the WebSigner application), electronically outside the AIS MIT, or manually and then upload a scan of the signed document in pdf back to the system.

​What do large enterprises need to prepare for under the energy price capping regime

Enterprises that continue to apply the energy price capping regime will have to reassess the financial benefit actually generated for the period from 1 January to 30 June 2023 and report it to the AIS MIT system by 31 July 2023. Please note that this obligation will also apply to large enterprises which are no longer registered in the capping regime but which purchased electricity or gas at capped prices until the end of April 2023. The obligation may also apply to those large enterprises that no longer purchased electricity or gas at capped prices for the months of April to June 2023 but generated financial benefits for the 1st quarter of this year, as the individual periods are always assessed from 1 January 2023 until the end of the relevant calendar quarter. We are currently verifying the validity of this obligation with the ministry.

Simultaneously, large enterprises that have not exceeded the maximum possible public aid limit and wish to remain in the energy price capping regime must resubmit declarations to their electricity and gas suppliers by 31 July 2023.

We will continue to monitor the developments of capped prices and available interpretations. We will be happy to support you in evaluating the financial benefits or completing the report should you be interested.