Rising Italian gas prices spark concern from consumer groups

ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s regulated household gas prices for November consumption will rise by 13.7% compared with the previous month, energy authority ARERA said on Friday, sparking concern from consumer groups.

The typical Italian family has spent around 1,740 euros ($1,831.52) on gas in the year to the end of November, an increase of almost 64% on the previous 12 months, ARERA added.

Marco Vignola, who speaks on energy issues for the National Consumers Union, described the figures as “a disaster”.

He called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government to do more to help Italians in order to prevent Christmas from being a write-off in terms of spending power.

Meloni plans to spend some 21 billion euros next year to help families and firms cope with sky-high energy costs. The sum is on top of some 75 billion euros earmarked this year.

ARERA recently started setting regulated gas prices on a monthly rather than quarterly basis due to market uncertainty related to gas supplies on the back of the war in Ukraine.

($1 = 0.9500 euros)

(Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Alvise Armellini)