On average, electricity tariffs will go up by 46% in 2006 without any dramatic rocketing that would be keenly felt by end-users, the spokesperson for Sverdlovenergo plc, local electricity supplier, says.

Give or take a few rubles, the company’s services are going to cost 329.66 RUR per megawatt-hour in 2006, which is 46% more than this year’s tariff (226.16 RUR per megawatt-hour). The main cause of the tariff growth is having to pay Federal United Power System plc (FSKEES) for transmitting electric power via united national network with tension over 110 kilowatt. The share of FSKEES plc is 78.88 RUR per megawatt-hour and, since this payment was incorporated in the tariff as early as 2005, the soaring of tariff prices is not expected. Sverdlovenergo plc is also expecting an increase of 6.5% within the network maintenance rate for distributive networks with tension of 110 kilowatt or less.