El Gobierno anuncia un tope al gas y al butano para contener los precios que desafía a Bruselas

The Spanish government has announced limits on gas and butane usage to curb rising energy costs that challenge Brussels. Vice President Sara Aagesen, who leads the government's ecological transition and demographic challenge, made these announcements during a meeting of the informal energy council in Dublin. In response to the sharp increase in energy prices stemming from the Iran war, Aagesen said the government will establish a new crisis shield.

A key component of this new system is capping the growth of the Last Resort Tariff (TUR) for gas during the autumn and winter seasons to keep its rise at 15%. Additionally, a maximum price of 19.55 euros per butane cylinder will be set to control heating costs for households. Without these limits, household bills would soar beyond a 45% increase starting next month.

Aagesen assured that these measures aim to limit growth. The government's announced measures directly conflict with the European Commission's requests in the same energy council. Dan Jorgensen, the European Commission's Energy Commissioner, sent a letter to member states requesting a reduction in energy consumption to stabilize prices and mitigate the economic impact.

In his letter, Jorgensen cautioned that any price regulation measures must be carefully defined and targeted, not temporary or risk inducing unnecessary consumption. In contrast to the government's subsidies that maintain energy demand despite scarcity and high prices, Jorgensen proposed reducing electricity use during peak demand periods to directly reduce gas needs and preserve the budget saved from cutting heating and lighting in public buildings during nighttime hours.