Russia's Energy Ministry pushes for higher tariffs to cut consumption

The Russian Ministry of Energy will encourage Russians to give up low tariffs and to limit their energy consumption, including turning off appliances at certain times.

The Russian Ministry of Energy aims to convince Russians to join a programme to reduce electricity demand, according to documents obtained by the newspaper "Kommersant".

Russians are encouraged to start saving energy. This involves, among other actions, turning off appliances during specific times. Lowering consumption, particularly during peak hours, should, according to the Ministry of Energy, help ease the burden on the power system.

To achieve this, it is necessary to switch to the tariffs charged to commercial enterprises, which are, on average, 34 per cent higher than the rates for the general population under the so-called regulated tariffs.

However, the Ministry aims to persuade Russians to forgo low tariffs - "Kommersant" reports - and is preparing special incentives for this purpose. As the newspaper highlights, analysts are sceptical about the profitability of such a move.