FAS Russia initiated a case upon the sings of violating pricing procedures on the free market of electric power

“Marienergosbyt” OJSC is included in the Register of Economic Entities with over 35% share of a relevant market, and over 50% on the market of buying-and-selling electric power in the Mari El Republic.

FAS Russia analyzed information about non-regulated prices for electricity, which “Marienergosbyt” OJSC sells to the so-called “other consumers” (factories, plants, etc.) – high voltage (over 7,000 h). Based on the data submitted by the company and analysis of its web-site, in January2010 the price was over 2.74 RUB/kW*h, the number of customers in January - 4626.

At the same time, according to the information on the web-site of the Trading System Administrator, in January 2010 the average weighted non-regulated prices for electric power in the wholesale market for the customers, whose retail customers pay a flat-rate tariff, was around 1.4 RUB/kW*h. According to the tariffs approved by the Tariff Service of the Mari El Republic, sales mark-up of the provider of last resort and other payments under the above tariff are 0.94 RUB/kW*h.

FAS Russia is of the opinion that non-regulated price for electric power for customers of “Marienergosbyt” OJSC should have been 2.36 instead of 2.74 RUB/kW*h. The difference possibly resulted in obtaining unjustified income by the company.

The above information as well as use of a similar calculation scheme for non-regulated price for other months of 2010, particularly, for lower-voltage customers, and the schemes for calculating prices for применения two-part tariff will be in the focus of the antimonopoly case against “Marienergosbyt” OJSC. The date of case hearing will be announced at a later stage.