Reference is being made to the article The visual horror of the increase in electricity prices (TMI, 23 July).

The article is in mock shock over the rate of increase in Malta’s electricity prices using outdated information to inevitably draw the wrong conclusion.

Even taking the wrong data at face value, your paper should have placed the “facts” as it understood them in the context of the supreme fact that, in spite of this increase, Malta’s domestic electricity prices are shown by this wrong data to be average by European standards. Once the shock is passed, clearly the facts published by the paper itself should come to the comforting realisation that Malta’s electricity prices remained low for several years while all other European citizens experienced increases over several years that Malta had not yet caught up with.

We are sending you accurate and much more recent data that can be downloaded from the European Union’s energy portal (energy.eu) follows. The following visual information includes taxes and duties and shows an average amount in euro per kWh consumed: (Table1)

Malta ranks 22nd from amongst 27 European union countries, well below the EU average. Furthermore this table does not take into consideration the fact that in Malta around 30,000 families are benefiting directly from state assistance under the energy benefit, neither does it consider the eco-reduction benefits which further reduces the cost for those who consume less.

Contrary to the picture portrayed in the article, industry in Malta is also paying a competitive price when compared to other European Union countries. (Table 2)

Far from the second highest prices in Europe, industry in Malta pays just about the European average. The statistics shown in The Malta Independent article only measures consumption prices for 500-2000 MWh which, in the case of Malta, only includes less than 40 companies. The bulk of the Maltese industry, given the small size of the country, lies between 50-500 MWh. Your graph may impart visual horror but it says nothing about the facts on costs to industry in Malta.

The statistics which are being quoted by Enemalta are the normal rates as stipulated in the October 2008 revisions. However one must note that most of the industries were eligible to the reduced rates which was significantly lower than the standard rates. For example if we had to take cumulative consumption at 1,000 MWh the normal rate was 17c2 excluding VAT and the reduced rate was 12c9.

Amanda Ciappara

Communications Coordinator

Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications