The relationships between retail market entities are regulated by the Basic Provisions for the Operation of Retail Electricity Markets, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 4, 2012 No. 442.

Retail market entities include:

1. Consumers

2. Utility service providers

3. Suppliers of electrical energy (power) - energy sales, energy supply organizations, guarantee suppliers, producers of electrical energy (power) in retail markets

4. Entities providing the technological infrastructure of retail markets - grid organizations providing services for the transmission of electrical energy, subjects of operational dispatch control in the electric power industry, carrying out the specified management in retail markets

A key role in the existing model of retail markets belongs to guaranteeing suppliers, designed to ensure reliable electricity supply to consumers.

Guarantee supplier- this is a commercial organization that is obliged to conclude an energy supply (purchase and sale) agreement with any consumer who contacts it or with a buyer acting on behalf and in the interests of the consumer, and is also obliged to accept consumers for service without their application in cases provided for by the Basic Provisions for the Operation of Retail markets. Each supplier of last resort acts in this capacity within its area of ​​activity. The areas of activity of guaranteeing suppliers do not overlap.

The supplier of last resort has the right to refuse to conclude an agreement with the consumer (buyer) only in the following cases:

1. Lack of technological connection in the prescribed manner

2. The location of the consumer’s power receiving device is outside the area of ​​activity of the guaranteeing supplier

Network organizations carry out two main types of activities - transmission of electrical energy through electrical networks and technological connection of power receiving devices of electrical energy consumers, electrical energy production facilities, as well as electrical grid facilities belonging to network organizations and other persons to electrical networks. Both of these types of activities are natural monopolistic and regulated by the state, which implies not only the establishment of tariffs for services, but also ensuring non-discriminatory access of consumers of the services of network organizations to electric networks.

Operational dispatch control in retail markets is carried out by the system operator and subjects of operational dispatch control in technologically isolated territorial electric power systems in relation to electric power facilities and power receiving devices of energy consumers, the technological mode of operation and operational condition of which affect the electric power mode of the UES of Russia.

Scheme of relationships between subjects of retail markets:

TSO- territorial network organization

GP- supplier of last resort

ESC- energy sales company

FSK- JSC Federal Grid Company of the Unified Energy System (JSC FGC UES)

Dr. for transmission of electricity- contract for the provision of services for the transmission of electrical energy

compensation for losses- contract for the purchase and sale of electricity to compensate for losses in networks

Formation of prices and tariffs in retail markets in price zones of the wholesale market

In retail electricity markets, the supply of electricity (power) to the population and equivalent categories of consumers is carried out at regulated prices (tariffs) established by the executive body of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation in the field of state regulation of tariffs. The sale of remaining volumes of electricity (power) in the territories of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation included in the price zones of the wholesale market is carried out at unregulated prices.

PUNT- the maximum level of unregulated prices, within which the unregulated price is formed for the end consumer (buyer)

Unregulated prices of the wholesale electricity market- components of the maximum levels of unregulated prices, calculated by the commercial operator of the wholesale market for each guaranteeing supplier - participant of the Wholesale Electric Energy Market (prices for electrical energy, power or electrical energy taking into account power)

Tariff for electricity transmission services- a tariff established by the executive authority of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation in the field of state regulation of tariffs for services for the transmission of electrical energy through regional electric networks, differentiated by voltage levels.

Fees for other services- payment for other services, the provision of which is an integral part of the process of supplying electrical energy to consumers.

Unregulated price of the wholesale electricity market- components of the maximum levels of unregulated prices calculated by the commercial operator of the wholesale market

Planning- the presence in the contract of a condition on hourly planning of electrical energy consumption in the manner provided for in paragraph 44 of the Basic Provisions for the Functioning of Retail Markets

*metering device by day zones

**until 07/01/2013

***from 07/01/2013 by default, in the absence of notification about the choice of price category and depending on the selected tariff for transmission services

The structure and procedure for pricing in non-price zones for various categories of consumers

In non-price zones of the wholesale market, from March 1, 2011, the determination of prices for electrical energy (power) supplied in retail markets to end consumers, with the exception of the population and equivalent categories of consumers, is carried out by transmitting wholesale market prices to retail markets.

Basic part- basic part of the broadcast price

Deviations- component value of the transmitted cost of electrical energy to the retail market, due to the communication to end consumers of the cost of deviations in the volumes of actual consumption from the contractual volume by end consumers

1 - planned consumption of electrical energy by GP (ESC) on the wholesale market

2 - actual consumption

Transmission of prices in non-price areas of the wholesale market

The figure shows the formula according to which prices for end consumers in the retail market are calculated.

The basis of the final price for electrical energy for retail consumers in non-price zones is the regulated tariff for electrical energy, established by the executive authority of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation in the field of state regulation of prices (tariffs)

The figure shows the price structure for the purchase of electrical energy under an agreement ensuring sale on the retail market

Analysis of the formulas presented in the figure:

S- the cost of the actual volume of electricity consumption by the consumer (buyer) on the retail market in the non-price zone

V- actual volume of electrical energy consumption by the retail consumer (buyer)

T- tariff for electric energy established by the regulatory body of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation

I- specific cost of a unit of electrical energy purchased on the wholesale market, in the structure of the regulated tariff T

α - coefficient alpha, reflecting the change in price on the wholesale market relative to the indicative price; the algorithm for calculating it is shown in the figure

β - beta coefficient, reflecting the influence of the population on the formation of prices for other end consumers

A- unit cost (price) of electrical energy, calculated on the basis of adopted tariff-balance decisions and indicative prices

B- unit cost (price) of electrical energy, determined in the volume of purchase on the wholesale market

C- balance volume of electrical energy consumption

D- volume of consumption by the population and equivalent categories of consumers in accordance with the approved consolidated forecast balance

The procedure for calculating the volume and cost of deviations of actually consumed electrical energy from the planned one

The procedure for calculating the volume and cost of deviations of actually consumed electrical energy from the planned one is regulated by the Rules for the application of prices (tariffs) in retail markets in territories not united in price zones of the wholesale market, approved by Order of the Federal Tariff Service of Russia dated November 30, 2010 No. 364-e/4.

The population and equivalent categories of consumers do not pay for deviations.

1 - the amount of deviation of actual electrical energy consumption from the planned one

(Section prepared based on materials from the NP “Market Council”)

The retail electricity market is the area of ​​sale of electricity to end consumers outside the wholesale market. Almost all electricity sold on the retail market is purchased on the wholesale market, with the exception of a small share produced at power plants that are not participants in the wholesale market. However, in the Russian Federation there are territories where there is only a retail market - these are the so-called technologically isolated systems: Kamchatka, Magadan, Sakhalin, Western and Central Yakutia, Chukotka, Taimyr.

In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 31, 2006 No. 530 “On the rules for the functioning of retail markets,” a new retail market was introduced from September 1, 2006 and its liberalization began (Fig. 1):

emergence of the status of a guaranteeing supplier (GS). The FTS maintains a register of state enterprises;

GP sales markup is an independent adjustable value;

new pricing rules (translation of unregulated wholesale prices into the retail market): only for price zones, in non-price zones - everything is according to the tariff;

securing new conditions for interaction between consumers and SOEs, incl. hourly metering of electricity by large consumers, compliance with contractual consumption values, procedure for limiting electricity consumption;

strengthening the role of the authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the activities of the State Enterprise

Fig.1. Parallel liberalization of the wholesale and retail markets from September 1, 2006

The subjects of the retail market are:

consumers of electrical energy, including providers of public utilities;

energy sales organizations;

guarantee supplier;

network organizations and other owners of network facilities providing electric energy transmission services;

producers of electrical energy that do not comply with the rules of the wholesale market, or other persons who have the right to dispose of electrical energy;

system operator and other subjects of ODU.

The central subject of the retail market becomes the guaranteeing supplier, who is obliged to conclude an agreement with any consumer who contacts him, located within the boundaries of his area of ​​​​operation. All other electricity sellers are free to enter into contracts with consumers, i.e., if such sellers and buyers do not agree on all terms of delivery, then the contract will not be concluded and it will be impossible to oblige such sellers to conclude an agreement.

If the buyer is not satisfied with his electricity seller, he can turn to the supplier of last resort at any time.

A supplier of last resort is a participant in the wholesale and retail electricity markets who is obliged to enter into an agreement with any consumer who contacts him and is located within the boundaries of his area of ​​activity:

According to the dates of the first regular competitions:

the first regular competition for GP status is held no earlier than 2010 and no later than 2012;

the winner of the first and each subsequent regular competition begins to perform the functions of the State Enterprise on January 1 of the year following the year in which the competition was held;

Regarding the deadlines for the entry of level 2 SE into the wholesale market:

Level 2 SEs must enter the WEM and begin purchasing electricity (capacity) on the WEM as a full participant;

if a 2nd level SE does not comply with the requirement, it is deprived of its SE status and its area of ​​activity is included in the area of ​​activity of the 1st level SE;

Regarding the grounds for changing areas of activity before the first competition:

change only based on the results of the next competition, if the requirements (conditions) are met and a winner for new zones is identified;

before the first regular competition only in 2 cases: when the area of ​​activity of a 2nd level SE is included in the area of ​​activity of a 1st level SE, with the consent of all SEs affected by such a decision.

The rules determine the procedure for appointing and replacing guaranteeing suppliers. From the date of entry into force of the Retail Market Rules, the following have been appointed as suppliers of last resort in the relevant territories of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation:

undivided AO-energos and (or) energy sales organizations created as a result of the reorganization of AO-energos;

wholesale consumers-resellers and sales companies created on their basis, which, on the date of entry into force of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, supply electricity to the population and consumers financed from the budget in an amount of at least 50 million kWh per year;

energy sales organizations serving consumers connected to the electrical networks of JSC Russian Railways;

business entities operating power grid facilities or generating facilities that do not have electrical connections with the Unified Energy System of Russia and isolated power systems (the so-called “islands” - a typical example is an oil production enterprise with its own diesel power plant).

The areas of activity of guaranteeing suppliers in each region are established by the regional government authority, based on the existing territorial service areas of the appointed guaranteeing suppliers.

The rules provide for one of the key obligations of organizations appointed as suppliers of last resort - the separation of sales and network activities. Thus, all wholesale consumers-resellers who have received the functions of guaranteeing suppliers must go through the procedure of separation by type of activity.

Suppliers of last resort (wholesale consumers-resellers, the winner of the competition or a territorial network organization - if it has been assigned the status of a supplier of last resort) must receive the status of a participant in the wholesale market. At the same time, there are a number of features for them:

in relation to such organizations, a preferential (four-year) period is provided for bringing commercial accounting systems into compliance with the requirements of the agreement on accession to the trading system of the wholesale market (in accordance with the Wholesale Market Rules).

Guaranteed suppliers are not subject to quantitative requirements for wholesale market entities.

Thus, they are only required to conclude the contracts necessary to participate in trading on the wholesale market and obtain a balance sheet decision from the Federal Tariff Service of Russia, and all technical measures, which, as a rule, take a significant period of time, can be completed later.

The functions of a guaranteeing supplier can be temporarily (for a period of up to 6 months) transferred to a network organization in the following cases:

if the current supplier of last resort is deprived of its license to sell electricity to citizens;

if measures have been taken against him to deprive him of the right to participate in trade on the wholesale market;

if he declares his liquidation;

if bankruptcy proceedings have been launched against him;

as well as in the event that it violates its obligations to pay for electricity and transmission services on the retail market, or if the financial performance of its activities violates the control values ​​​​established in the annex to the Rules.

In the event of a deterioration in the financial condition of the current guaranteeing supplier, failure by the guaranteeing supplier to fulfill its obligations, as well as in the event of its voluntary refusal to perform functions, an extraordinary tender is envisaged.

The procedure for changing the guaranteeing supplier is public. Information about the change of the guaranteeing supplier should be published in local print media, posted at points of acceptance of payments for electricity (including in branches of Sberbank of Russia and Russian Post), as well as on the Internet (including on the websites of energy sales companies, industry departments and their regional divisions).

When changing the guaranteeing supplier, consumers - legal entities will need to enter into contracts with the new guaranteeing supplier, and consumer consumers will only need to start paying the new guaranteeing supplier.

The rules also determine other features of the functioning of energy sales organizations, the procedure for the operation of the energy sales organization and consumers, aimed at preventing cases when unscrupulous energy sales organizations may arise that offer consumers the sale of electrical energy in the absence of contracts ensuring the purchase of this electrical energy on the wholesale or retail market.

On the territory of the Ivanovo region, the status of state enterprises is given to:

LLC "Energy Grid Company"

MUP "Energosbyt"

OJSC "Ivenergosbyt"

Pricing

At the moment, it is assumed that in the first three years of operation of the target model in the field of state regulation of pricing in retail markets, there will be sales of electrical energy to the population in the volume of the social consumption norm.

Payments for technological connection to electrical networks will also be subject to regulation.

In addition, the Government of the Russian Federation will determine groups of consumers of electrical energy, in respect of which a special procedure may be provided for providing security for obligations to pay for electrical energy in the case of servicing these consumers by a supplier of last resort.

The formation of a target model of retail markets will help increase the investment attractiveness of entities in the retail segment and create economic incentives for energy saving.

The main feature of the new pricing system on the retail market is synchronization with the process of liberalization of prices on the wholesale market. This involves supplying part of the volumes at a regulated price, and part at a price reflecting the cost of electric energy on the competitive wholesale electricity market within the limits of unregulated prices.

During the transition period, the population is guaranteed the supply of the entire volume actually consumed at regulated prices.

The market price is formed as the sum of the competitive price of the wholesale electricity market, taking into account the capacity and cost of regulated services, the tariffs for which are and will be established by government authorities (Table 1). The cost of regulated services can be determined as the difference between the final tariff established for your group of consumers and the cost of electricity (power) included in the tariffs.

Table 1. Formation of retail prices for electricity for end consumers

Infrastructure

Retail market

The maximum level of unregulated prices is determined by a special formula fixed in the Rules on the basis of information published monthly by NP "ATS" on the average cost of a unit of electrical energy (1 kWh) prevailing on the wholesale market for the past month, taking into account state-regulated tariffs for services transmission of electrical energy, infrastructure services, as well as sales surcharges.

This will encourage the supplier of last resort to minimize its costs of purchasing electricity on the wholesale market and at the same time protect consumers of electricity from careless pricing policies.

Energy sales organizations that do not supply electricity to the population have the right to supply electricity at negotiated prices. It should be taken into account that for consumers of electrical energy who enter into contracts with such energy sales organizations of their own free will, there is always an economic criterion for assessing the price they offer - the cost of supplying electrical energy by the guaranteeing supplier.

Models of settlements between consumers and network organizations

The choice of retail market model is determined by the wholesale market functioning model. Liberalization of the wholesale market must necessarily be accompanied by liberalization of the retail market, while if the monopoly wholesale market is maintained, competition in the retail market will be very inferior.

The retail market can operate according to one of two models:

monopoly - in a certain territory there is only one seller of electricity to end consumers;

competitive - in a certain territory there are several competing sellers and (or) suppliers of electricity to end consumers.

The model of a monopoly retail market is based on combining, within one vertically integrated company, the activities of transmitting electrical energy and selling it; production is also possible within one company. The public nature of relations in monopoly electric energy markets is also based on this - the consumer always has the right to demand the conclusion of an energy supply agreement from the organization to whose electrical networks its energy-receiving equipment is connected. Such an organization, combining activities for the purchase, sale and transmission of electricity, is called an energy supply organization.

The disadvantages of the energy supply organization include:

non-transparency of activities - the economic model of operation itself stimulates inflated costs;

setting tariffs, as a rule, taking into account cross-subsidization due to the combination of activities and the opacity of the expenditure base;

high resistance to the introduction of competitive relations.

In the conditions of liberalization of the wholesale market, the main prerequisites for the emergence of a competitive retail market are:

necessity - not all buyers can enter the wholesale market;

economic (commercial) feasibility - reducing price risk for end buyers through risk diversification (diversified order portfolio) and a more professional “game” in the wholesale market of intermediary distributors, including the conclusion of financial contracts (futures, forwards, etc.).

The model of a competitive retail market assumes that at least several energy sales companies will operate in a certain territory, providing the end consumer with a choice of which one to buy electricity from, and thus competing with each other.

The introduction of a competitive retail market model requires the following conditions to be met:

equal access for competing energy sales companies to purchase electricity on the wholesale market;

the need to separate competitive sales and distribution activities;

lack of regulation of prices for electricity sold to consumers by competitive energy sales companies;

equipping consumers served by competitive sales companies with certified commercial metering devices for the electricity they consume;

the presence of an effective system of state regulation of monopoly, including local monopolies, and natural monopoly activities in the wholesale and retail markets, including the provision of network services and dispatch control.

Target models

electricity market price

Characteristic features of target models (Fig. 2):

the right for end consumers to choose any sales company from which they will buy electricity at free, unregulated prices;

the presence of a special institution of guaranteeing suppliers who are obliged to conclude an agreement with any consumer who applies to them;

unregulated prices freely set by everyone except the supplier of last resort; the price of the guaranteeing supplier cannot exceed the unregulated prices of the wholesale market by more than the amount of its sales markup and the cost of other regulated services that ensure the delivery process - transmission services in the first place.

Fig.2. Target retail market model

Unified (boiler) tariff

A unified (boiler) tariff means: for all consumers of transmission services at the same voltage level (including groups), an equal transmission tariff is established, regardless of the networks of which organization they are connected to.

Prerequisites for the transition to a new model for the formation of network tariffs:

the emergence in the region of several guaranteeing suppliers and sales companies, ready to become subjects of the Wholesale Electric Energy Market by the beginning of 2008;

intensification of competition between guaranteeing suppliers and sales companies;

changes in legislation.

Necessary conditions for the implementation of a unified (boiler) tariff for the transmission of electrical energy:

adoption of uniform tariffs for the transmission of electrical energy, taking into account the NGR of all networks in the region;

approval of not only tariffs for the transmission of electrical energy for consumers, but also tariffs for mutual settlements between grid organizations;

concluding agreements for the transmission of electrical energy between adjacent grid companies.

Expected result from the transition to a new model for forming network tariffs:

strengthening the country's electrical grid complex, further developing the electricity market among sales and distribution energy companies;

coordinating the network development program and eliminating cross-subsidies in the energy sector, ensuring economic efficiency for both energy companies and end consumers in a liberalized electricity market;

transparency of the process: each consumer will pay a tariff for energy generation, a tariff for its transportation through the power grid (depending only on the voltage class), as well as a tariff for the services of the sales company (sales surcharge);

creating equal conditions for the activities of sales companies and equal conditions for consumers, regardless of which networks they are connected to and in what sequence.

The main problems in the implementation of unified (boiler) tariffs and ways to solve them are presented in the diagram (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Problems in implementing unified (boiler) tariffs

Model of relationships between subjects of the retail electricity market under the “boiler from below” market model

Consumers (sales companies and last resort suppliers on their behalf) pay at unified “boiler” tariffs for the services of those network organizations to whose networks their power receiving devices are connected. In turn, lower-level organizations pay “up the chain” for the services of higher-level network companies, i.e. The municipal unitary enterprise pays to the RSK, and the RSK pays to JSC FGC UES (Fig. 4).

Fig 4. Model of relationships between subjects of the retail electricity market under the “boiler from below” market model

Model of relationships between subjects of the retail electricity market under the “boiler on top” market model

Payments from consumers (ESK, GP) for electricity transmission services provided to them are received only by one higher organization (RSK). After that, this backbone network organization pays the lower-level network organizations to whose networks the consumers’ power receiving devices are connected (Fig. 5, Table 2).

Fig.5. Model of relationships between subjects of the retail electricity market under the “boiler on top” market model

Table 2. Advantages and disadvantages of models

Model of relationships between subjects of the retail electricity market

It is currently assumed that in the first three years of operation of the target model (Fig. 6) in the field of state regulation of pricing in retail markets there will be sales of electrical energy to the population in the amount of the social consumption norm.

Rice. 6. Model of relationships between subjects of the retail electricity market

In the free final price of electricity, the following will remain regulated:

cost of services of a guaranteeing supplier (sales markup);

cost of services of network organizations;

tariffs for services for organizing the functioning of the trading system of the wholesale electricity (capacity) market;

prices (tariffs) for services to ensure system reliability.

Payments for technological connection to electrical networks are also subject to regulation.

In addition, the government of the Russian Federation will determine groups of consumers of electrical energy, in respect of which a special procedure may be provided for providing security for obligations to pay for electrical energy in the case of servicing these consumers by a supplier of last resort.

The final price for supplying electricity to consumers will be set by the terms of energy supply contracts (purchase and sale of electricity) and will take into account fluctuations in the price of electricity on the wholesale market.

Structure of price formation in the electricity market

On July 1, 2009, the next stage in the development of the Russian electricity and capacity market began - the share of electricity sold on the wholesale market at free prices reached 50% of the forecast balance of electricity production and consumption. In this regard, the Market Council NP receives a large number of questions about the structure of the price for electricity and the procedure for its formation. The materials provided provide answers to most of these questions.

Electricity market

1. Wholesale electricity market

   Retail electricity market

Legislative framework for regulating the electricity market

Prices and tariffs

1. Liberalization of the wholesale market

   Liberalization of the retail market

   Unregulated electricity prices

   Power market

   Regulated prices (tariffs)

Formation of prices for consumers

Factors influencing the formation of free retail prices

1. Fall in consumption

   Increasing the share of liberalization

   Electricity price on the wholesale market

   Power price on the wholesale market

   Tariff formation mechanism

Electricity market

Russia has a two-level electricity market: wholesale and retail.

Wholesale electricity market

In the wholesale market, electricity suppliers (generating companies, electricity importers) sell two goods to buyers (guarantee suppliers, sales companies, large consumers, electricity exporters) - electricity and power.

The wholesale market operates across most of the country and is divided into two loosely interconnected “price” zones - the first includes the European part of Russia and the Urals, the second includes Siberia.

The regions of the Far East, the Kaliningrad and Arkhangelsk regions, and the Komi Republic belong to the so-called “non-price zones”. In these regions, for technological reasons (isolation from the unified energy system of Russia), the organization of a competitive market is currently impossible.

Wholesale market prices can vary significantly in individual regions, which is due to the different efficiencies of power plants serving different regions of the country and the insufficient capacity of power transmission lines.

Capacity trading is carried out in a separate sector of the wholesale market – the capacity market. Power is a special product, the purchase of which provides a participant in the wholesale market with the right to demand that generating equipment be ready to produce, on competitive terms, electric energy of an established quality in the quantity necessary to satisfy the demand for electric energy of this participant.

The sale of capacity allows electricity producers to receive the necessary funds to ensure the reliable operation of existing generating capacities and the construction of new generation facilities, and electricity consumers to carry out long-term planning of their investment, financial and production activities in accordance with the obligations of suppliers. In addition, the guaranteed availability of a paid power reserve minimizes the likelihood of a significant rise in prices during periods of maximum load, and also reduces the risk of interruptions in power supply.

Retail electricity market

In the retail market, suppliers of last resort and sales companies sell electricity purchased on the wholesale market to end consumers.

The supplier of last resort is an energy sales company that is obliged to enter into an agreement with every consumer who contacts it in its area of ​​​​operation. The contract with the supplier of last resort is public, which means that its terms are transparent and the same for all consumers. The service area of ​​the guaranteeing supplier, as a rule, coincides with the borders of the subject of the federation.

Other energy sales companies that do not supply the population can enter into contracts with consumers on any terms, including in terms of setting electricity prices.

In the retail market, it is possible to purchase at two tariffs for electricity and capacity (two-part tariff), or purchase at a single tariff for electricity, taking into account the price of power (single-part tariff).

Legislative framework for regulating the electricity market

To date, an extensive regulatory framework has been formed to regulate relationships in the electricity and capacity markets. It includes 8 federal laws, 46 decrees of the Russian Government, decrees and orders of federal executive authorities (Ministry of Energy, Federal Tariff Service, etc.). The main regulations include:

Federal Law of March 26, 2003 No. 35-FZ “On Electric Power Industry”;

Federal Law of March 26, 2003 No. 36-FZ “On the peculiarities of the functioning of the electric power industry during the transition period and on introducing amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation and recognizing as invalid some legislative acts of the Russian Federation in connection with the adoption of the Federal Law “On Electric Power Industry”;

Federal Law of April 14, 1995 No. 41-FZ “On state regulation of tariffs for electrical and thermal energy in the Russian Federation”;

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated October 24, 2003 No. 643 “On the Rules of the wholesale electricity (power) market for the transition period”;

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated August 31, 2006 No. 530 “On approval of the Rules for the functioning of retail electricity markets during the transition period of reforming the electric power industry.”

Prices and tariffs

3.1.Liberalization of the wholesale market

Liberalization of the Russian energy market is a transition from state tariff setting to market pricing. During the transition period of reforming the electric power industry (until 2011), part of the electricity and capacity is purchased on the wholesale market at a regulated tariff within the framework of regulated bilateral agreements, part - at unregulated (free) prices, under free bilateral agreements, on the day-ahead market, on the balancing market and based on the results of competitive capacity selection.

The ratio of the volumes of electricity and capacity sold at free and regulated prices periodically changes: the share of electricity supplied at free prices increases, while at regulated prices it decreases. In accordance with the laws “On the Electric Power Industry” and “On the Peculiarities of the Functioning of the Electric Power Industry in the Transition Period...”, as well as Government Resolution No. 205 “On Amendments to Certain Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation on the Issue of Determining the Volume of Sales of Electric Energy at Free (Unregulated) Prices” Since 2007, a mandatory reduction in the volume of regulated contracts (RC) on the energy market is planned twice a year.

Thus, from January 1, 2007, the share of RDs formed in accordance with the forecast balance of electricity production and consumption of the Federal Tariff Service decreased by 5%, from July 1, 2007 - by 10%, on January 1, 2008, the share of energy market liberalization increased to 15%, July 1, 2008 – up to 25%, January 1, 2009 – up to 30%.

Currently, the share of liberalization is 50%. However, it should be understood that the real share of electricity supplies at free prices is less than 50%, since, firstly, it is calculated from the forecast balance of electricity production and consumption in 2007, and secondly, electricity supplies to the population until 2014 are carried out only at regulated prices. tariff.

3.2. Liberalization of the retail market

Wholesale market prices are transmitted to the retail market. Guaranteed suppliers are obliged to sell electricity purchased on the wholesale market at regulated prices to end consumers (those who purchase electricity only for their own consumption) also at regulated prices; electricity purchased at free prices is also sold on the retail market at free prices. Thus, liberalization of the wholesale and retail markets is carried out simultaneously.

3.3. Unregulated electricity prices

Within the unregulated sector there are three independent electricity markets:

Free bilateral agreements (FBA) are concluded between the supplier and the buyer of electricity. The terms of the DDS, including prices and delivery times, are determined by the agreements of the counterparties;

The day-ahead market (DAM) operates in the form of an auction supported by a commercial operator (JSC ATS), which brings together bids for the purchase and sale of electricity for the next day to form the planned production and consumption of electricity. The DAM price is determined based on the maximum satisfied application for the sale of electricity;

The balancing market (BM) operates in real time to eliminate deviations from planned production and consumption. Supply volumes and prices are determined as a result of the selection of suppliers' applications by the System Operator (SO UES JSC).

Day-ahead and balancing markets are necessary for more accurate planning of electricity consumption and production, which cannot be achieved under long-term bilateral contracts.

3.4. Power Market

When determining the cost of power, the competitive power selection (CP) procedure is used.

For each generation facility, the investor or owner submits applications indicating the monthly payment for capacity (in rubles/MW) and the amount of power supplied. All generation facilities taken into account by the Federal Tariff Service of Russia in the forecast balance are selected in the KOM. Additionally, under a separate contract system, all buyers pay for the capacity of hydro and nuclear power plants.

In the capacity market, it is possible to conclude bilateral agreements for the supply of electricity and power (SDEM) between power suppliers and consumers.

Financial requirements of wholesale market suppliers are formed monthly, transmitted to retail and must be paid to the energy sales company by the end consumer.

3.5. Regulated prices (tariffs)

Until 2011, part of the electricity supply is carried out at regulated prices under regulated contracts.

Electricity is also supplied to customers in non-price zones at a regulated tariff.

Tariffs of network organizations, system and commercial operators, and the sales markup of the guaranteeing supplier are subject to state regulation.

Electricity supplies to the population until 2014 are carried out only at a regulated tariff.

Formation of prices for consumers

When determining the cost of electricity for end consumers, the volumes of electricity for which the supplier of last resort will pay a fixed (“regulated”) price in the current year are determined first.

The basis for these calculations are the balance sheet parameters of a particular supplier for 2007, which are recalculated in accordance with the percentage of liberalization.

The established volume is fixed by a system of regulated contracts concluded with the participation of a commercial operator of the wholesale market, and is paid by the end consumer according to the tariff.

For electricity and capacity in excess of the volumes fixed in regulated contracts, the end consumer pays at the price prevailing on the wholesale electricity market, taking into account all necessary payments (transmission services, sales markup, etc.).

The level of free prices for generation for each guaranteeing supplier for each month is calculated by the commercial operator (JSC ATS). This data is published on the ATS website. At the same time, a whole package of prices is calculated for retail buyers: a single-rate tariff (for electricity, taking into account power), a two-rate tariff (separate payment for electricity and power), zone tariff (price differentiated by time of day - night, half-peak, peak), prices for consumers with hourly electricity metering (with prices set for each hour of the day). Prices are calculated separately to pay for deviations from planned consumption volumes.

Maximum (final) levels of unregulated prices in retail markets are calculated for the corresponding billing period and brought to the attention of buyers by the organization supplying electrical energy.

Thus, the final price of a unit of electricity can vary widely not only in different regions, but also for different consumers of one guaranteeing supplier, depending on the tariff option used by the consumer to calculate the cost of consumed electricity, the accuracy of planning and the mode of electricity consumption.

In accordance with the principles of transmitting prices from the wholesale market to the retail market, end consumers (with the exception of the population) receive an invoice at the end of the billing period, which reflects the cost of electricity and power supplied by the supplier of last resort at the tariff, and the cost of electricity and power supplied at free prices.

In addition to the cost of electricity and capacity at “regulated” and “unregulated” prices, the end consumer pays:

Services of infrastructure organizations - subjects of the wholesale electricity market, ensuring the functioning of its technological infrastructure (system operator) and commercial infrastructure (commercial operator),

Electric energy transmission services (FSK and distribution grid companies),

Sales surcharge – payment for the services of a guaranteeing supplier,

Purchase of electricity from generating companies in the retail market (if necessary).

Structure of retail prices for electricity and capacity inIhalf year 2009

(* - prices subject to government regulation)

Factors influencing the formation of free retail prices

NP Market Council pays close attention to the analysis of price formation for end consumers, in other words, retail prices for electricity and capacity. In different regions of our country, different situations have developed with the dynamics and level of unregulated prices over the past year, but we can identify common characteristic factors that influence the formation of prices for end consumers.

Reduced consumption

One of the main factors is the reduction of consumption and, as a consequence, the distribution of power to decreasing consumption.

Sales companies under the current market model, in addition to purchasing electrical energy, are required to pay for all available capacity included in the FTS balance and that has passed a competitive selection conducted by the System Operator. The amount of this power does not depend on fluctuations in consumption. As a result, as consumption decreases, weighted average unregulated electricity prices taking into account capacity increase, since capacity payment obligations remain unchanged and are distributed over a decreasing number of units of consumed electricity. At the same time, the unevenness of the reduction in electrical energy (power) consumption in individual regions compared to the average for the price zone leads to different levels of growth in the price of power in different regions.

In the first half of 2009, a sharp increase in final weighted average prices for electricity was noted for a number of categories of consumers, caused by different conditions for transmitting the cost of unregulated prices for electricity and capacity for various large and small consumers of electricity. Currently, amendments to Government Resolution No. 530, regulating the operation of the retail electricity market, have been adopted and entered into force on May 1, 2009, in accordance with which the weighted average unregulated price for electricity is averaged between large and small consumers.

However, results in different regions may vary greatly depending on the dynamics of electricity consumption: there may be either a decrease or a significant increase in retail prices.

Increasing the share of liberalization

Another factor is the increase in the share of liberalization.

Reducing the volume of electricity sales at regulated prices (tariffs) on the wholesale electricity (power) market from 70% to 50% leads to two effects:

in regions experiencing a decline in electricity consumption, unregulated prices may decline due to the distribution of unclaimed available generator power over large volumes;

since the wholesale market determines almost a single price for all consumers in the price zone (taking into account network restrictions), in regions with expensive generation, in which tariffs exceed the national average, the weighted average price will decrease or increase slightly due to the fact that the unregulated price below or approximately equal to the adjustable one. Accordingly, in regions with low tariffs, where free prices will be higher than the regulated tariff, they will affect the growth of the weighted average price of electricity.

Electricity price on the wholesale market

The price of electricity on the wholesale market, transmitted to retail, also influences the formation of retail prices.

During 2008-2009, day-ahead market prices for electricity were subject to real supply and demand. Fluctuations in day-ahead market prices in winter, during periods of flood and repair company were determined by the quantity and composition of the included equipment.

Starting from mid-October 2008, day-ahead market prices stabilized below 600 rubles/MWh due to the fact that the decrease in demand created conditions for suppliers to compete to meet the load schedule.

The price of electricity on the wholesale market, transmitted to retail, does not increase with the growth of volumes of electricity (power) sold at free prices. Day-ahead market prices can and will be influenced by other factors: the price of fuel (in particular gas), the choice of the included equipment, the repair company, climatic factors, etc.

Power price on the wholesale market

The same factor influencing the formation of cost is the price of power on the wholesale market, transmitted to retail.

The ratio of costs for paying for power in the total cost per unit of electricity (in the wholesale market) ranges from 30 to 80% for various energy sales organizations, and on average in the market is 43%.

The cost of power purchased by energy sales organizations on the wholesale market is influenced by the prices of free bilateral contracts for the purchase and sale of electricity and capacity concluded by them with Suppliers, as well as the price determined based on the results of competitive power selection (CPO) for volumes not covered by free contracts. Currently, about half of the capacity purchased by energy sales organizations is purchased under free bilateral agreements.

The increase in the share of bilateral agreements leads to the fact that, first of all, it is profitable for buyers to enter into agreements with generators whose power tariff is lower than the weighted average tariff of all generators. Such contracts, as a rule, are concluded at a price higher than the tariff of a given generator, but lower than the weighted average tariff of all generators. This leads to an increase in the total cost of power in the market as a whole. From an economic point of view, energy supply companies are doing the right thing, as they are trying to minimize capacity costs within the framework of the current Wholesale Market Rules.

Tariff formation mechanism

Another factor influencing retail prices is related to the tariff formation mechanism. Regulated electricity tariffs are set by regional energy commissions based on calculations provided to them by energy companies operating in the region. The tariff for end consumers consists of the tariff for purchase (generation), energy transport services, sales and other services.

A significant contribution to changes in the price of electricity is made by the cost of electricity transmission services, especially considering its share in the total final tariff (32%). It is worth noting that liberalization does not affect the cost of transmission services. The increase in the cost of this service is influenced by the requirement of network companies (Government Decree No. 861) to pay for their services without taking into account the reduction in consumption, as well as the introduction of a new methodology for setting tariffs for the services of network companies (RAB). Due to changes in the methodology, the cost of transmission services may increase by about 50%.

On formation market prices... general structure costs are negligible in total structure costs... as well as costs on fuel and electricity. That. system research...

What is the retail market in the electric power industry.

In this article, we tried to clearly outline the basic principles of how consumers purchase electricity from suppliers. The following questions are addressed here:

• what are the characteristics of the electricity and capacity market and what are its differences from the wholesale electricity and capacity market;
• what is the retail electricity and capacity market;
• what entities operate in the retail market (who are the participants in the electricity market), how do they differ from entities in the wholesale electricity market (participants in the wholesale electricity market);
• what determines their relationship;
• what is the procedure for pricing in electricity markets (including the retail electricity market).

Retail electricity market (retail electricity and power markets).

Within the retail electricity market, electricity is sold that was purchased on the wholesale electricity and power market of the Wholesale Electric Power Market.
The main regulatory document that defines the procedure for operating the retail electricity and capacity market is the “Basic Provisions for the Functioning of Retail Electricity Markets” approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 4, 2012 No. 442 (rules of the retail electricity market 2012) to replace the previously existing “Basic Provisions for the Functioning of Retail Markets in transition period, which were approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 530 of August 31, 2006.

The following entities (electricity market participants) can operate in the retail electricity and capacity market:

• consumers of electrical energy;
• providers of public utility services who purchase electrical energy for further sale to citizens, i.e. providing them with public services;
• guarantee suppliers;
• independent energy sales companies, energy supply organizations;
• producers of electrical energy in retail markets who do not have the status of a wholesale market entity or for some reason have lost this status of a wholesale market entity;
• network organizations, as well as owners of electric grid facilities;
• system operator.

Term consumer electricity does not raise any questions for anyone and is clear to everyone, but who the guarantee suppliers, independent energy sales organizations, electricity producers in the retail market, network organizations and the system operator are is not clear to everyone. That is why he proposes to consider these categories of retail market entities in more detail.

Energy sales companies

Electricity sales to end consumers are carried out by energy sales companies. Energy sales companies include guaranteed electricity suppliers, independent energy sales organizations, and energy supply organizations.

Guarantee supplier electrical energy(GP) is an energy sales organization whose obligations include concluding an agreement with anyone who applies to it for this. In this case, the applicant must be located within the area of ​​activity of the guaranteeing supplier. Thus, the status of the guaranteeing supplier of electricity of the state enterprise assumes that the consumer will not be a hostage to the situation when he is refused to enter into an agreement; all independent energy sales organizations will refuse the consumer to enter into an agreement. Agreements concluded between the consumer and the GP are public, i.e. the terms of these agreements (pricing procedures and other essential conditions) are regulated by the Government of the Russian Federation.

Each SOE operates in its designated specific area of ​​activity. Outside the boundaries of the area of ​​activity, a state enterprise can act as an independent energy sales company. Outside its area of ​​activity, it can act as an energy sales organization. The boundaries of the area of ​​activity of different SOEs do not intersect. These boundaries are established by local executive authorities in the field of state regulation of tariffs (Regional Energy Commissions, departments for tariffs and prices, etc.).

Independent energy sales companies Unlike SOEs, they are not required to enter into contracts with any consumer and, as a rule, enter into contracts only with large consumers who are profitable to serve.

Electricity producers who are not participants in the wholesale markets (generating companies in the wholesale electricity market do not have the status)

Electricity producers, regardless of the amount of installed capacity, subject to the simultaneous fulfillment of the conditions that such producers do not have to sell all electricity on the wholesale market, have the right to sell the produced electricity on the retail market. Such electricity producers are called retail market electricity producers.

These electricity producers have the right to sell the generated electricity both to consumers who are located in the same constituent entity of the Russian Federation as the electricity producer, and to the electricity producer.

• An agreement between a consumer and an energy sales company can come into force only from the date of commencement of the provision of services for the transmission of electrical energy;
• At the same time, the contract for the provision of services for the transmission of electricity is executed by the network company only if there is a concluded agreement for the purchase and sale of electricity between the consumer and the energy sales company;
• Contracts between a consumer and an energy sales company most often contain a condition under which these contracts are automatically renewed for the next year, provided that neither party declares termination of the contract within a month.
• The consumer has the right to terminate the contract provided that the debt is repaid and other mandatory requirements are met.

If electricity consumption is detected in the absence of a concluded contract (non-contractual electricity consumption) or when a consumer connects to the power grid without permission, the network company imposes restrictions on the supply of electricity in relation to such consumers.
To conclude an energy supply agreement with a legal entity or the purchase and sale of electricity, the consumer sends an application to the guaranteeing supplier with a number of documents attached; the guaranteeing supplier is obliged to review the application and, within 30 days, provide the consumer with a draft agreement signed by the guaranteeing supplier. More information about the procedure for concluding an agreement can be found in the section “Concluding an energy supply agreement”. Here you can download a standard energy supply contract. You can get information on how to conclude an energy supply agreement.

The supplier of last resort has the right to refuse to conclude a contract, only the consumer is outside the boundaries of his area of ​​activity.

Retail electricity and power market

Pricing in the retail electricity market

Pricing in electricity markets is a rather complex and multifaceted issue. Its features are as follows:
To consumers belonging to the category “population and equivalent to the population,” electricity in the retail market is supplied only at regulated prices (tariffs).

Electricity is supplied to other consumers as follows:

A) In price zones (most of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation) - sales are carried out at unregulated prices.

B) Non-price zones - sales are carried out at regulated tariffs

Regulated prices (tariffs)

Regulated prices (tariffs) for the electricity and capacity markets are established on the basis of the forecast of socio-economic development of the Russian Federation for the next year developed by the Ministry of Economic Development and approved by the Government of the Russian Federation.

The Federal Tariff Service of the Russian Federation (FST RF) for each subject of the Russian Federation establishes a range of regulated tariffs (corridor) for consumers belonging to the group “population and equivalent categories”.

Within the range established by the FTS of the Russian Federation, the local executive body in the field of state regulation of tariffs (regional tariff services (RST) or tariff and price committees) of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation establish electricity tariffs for consumers belonging to the group “population and equivalent categories” " Also, regional tariff services (RST) of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation approve tariffs for the provision of electricity transmission services, using which settlements with grid companies are made.
For non-price zones of the wholesale market, the principles of translation of prices of the wholesale market are applied, which are defined in the “Basic provisions for the functioning of retail electricity markets”, which are approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 04.05.2012 No. 442 (rules for the functioning of retail electricity markets).

At the same time, the prices calculated by energy sales companies are regulated.

Pricing for consumers in non-price zones of the wholesale electricity market is carried out as follows:

Regulated electricity prices for electricity consumers in non-price zones of the wholesale electricity market (both for the first non-price zone of the wholesale electricity market and for the second non-price zone of the wholesale electricity market) are established on the basis of planned electricity consumption values ​​for the region, which are approved for the entire next year in the document entitled “Consolidated forecast balance of production and supply of electricity within the framework of a unified energy system.” However, actual consumption does not coincide with the planned one, due to the fact that the System Operator (responsible for reliability in the Power System), guided by the principles of minimizing the cost of electricity production, sets a schedule for electricity production for generation facilities, which does not coincide with the values ​​​​from the Consolidated Forecast Balance. In this regard, the purchase of missing volumes is carried out at other, unregulated prices (tariffs) for electricity. In this regard, the supplier of last resort has additional obligations to the generating companies to pay for purchased electricity, which are not covered by consumer payments at regulated prices. It is these deviations that are distributed proportionally to all electricity consumers in non-price zones in addition to the cost of electricity presented by consumers at regulated prices.

In addition, for consumers with a connected capacity of over 750 kW (with a maximum power of over 670 kW), mandatory planning of their hourly consumption has been introduced. In this regard, in the event of deviations in the plan from the actual consumption of electricity, such consumers are obliged to pay the cost of deviations determined for the supplier of last resort on the wholesale electricity and capacity market. If the consumer plans accurately, then the cost of such deviations is minimal. Consumers with a power of less than 750 kVA do not plan their hourly electricity consumption.

Do you want to know how to reduce the cost of electricity and enter the wholesale electricity market, but so as not to regret it later? Read this article

Unregulated prices

In retail markets, in price zones, suppliers of last resort sell electricity to consumers at unregulated prices for electricity (with the exception of the population), but not higher than the maximum levels of unregulated prices. The procedure for calculating unregulated prices for electric energy is specified in the “Basic provisions for the functioning of retail electric energy markets”, which are approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 4, 2012 No. 442.
More details about the pricing procedure in the retail market are provided in the section of the website “

Currently, electricity as a special type of product is sold in two markets: wholesale and retail.

The wholesale market for electrical energy (power) (hereinafter referred to as WECM) is the sphere of its circulation within the Unified Energy System of Russia within the boundaries of a single economic space with the participation of large producers and large buyers of electrical energy, who have received the status of a subject of the wholesale market and act on the basis of its rules, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation in accordance with Federal Law dated March 26, 2003 No. 35-FZ “On Electric Power Industry”.

Retail electricity markets represent the sphere of its circulation outside the wholesale market with the participation of electricity consumers. Although this definition does not establish territorial boundaries, in fact, retail electricity markets in the Russian Federation operate on a regional basis - on the territory of each subject of the Federation. Thus, in accordance with the administrative-territorial structure of the country, the spheres of activity of energy companies in the pre-reform electric power industry, inherited by the currently operating sales companies, were formed; the jurisdictions of the subjects of the Federation, including the regulation of retail electricity markets, were distributed according to this principle.

Effective organization of the retail market is of great importance for the functioning and development of the electric power industry. The retail market accounts for a significant portion of electricity consumption and, accordingly, payments. The organization of the relationship between consumers and electricity producers is one of the main elements of the retail market and has a significant impact on the efficiency of the electricity industry, as well as on the formation of adequate signals for its further development.

Within the framework of retail electricity markets, electricity purchased on the wholesale electricity and capacity market, as well as electricity from generating companies that are not participants in the wholesale market, are sold.

The subjects of retail electricity markets are:

Consumers of electrical energy;

Guarantee suppliers;

Energy sales organizations;

Producers of electrical energy who do not have the right to participate in the wholesale market, selling electrical energy on the retail market;

Utility service providers who purchase electrical energy in order to provide utility services to citizens;

Grid organizations and other owners of electric grid facilities;

System operator and other subjects of operational dispatch control in technologically isolated territorial electric power systems.

In retail markets there are a large number of consumers served by energy supply companies or guarantee suppliers competing with each other. The activities of guaranteeing suppliers (in terms of establishing the sales markup of the guaranteeing supplier) and grid companies (in terms of setting tariffs for the transmission of electrical energy) are regulated by the state. The consumer, in turn, can choose any sales company operating in a given region of Russia.

The existing division of consumers into groups:

Group 1 - basic consumers.

Basic consumers are consumers who receive electrical energy (power) generated by PEs that are not participants in the wholesale market, through guaranteeing suppliers and energy supply organizations.

Attribution of consumers to this group is possible only if there are producers of electrical energy (capacity) in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation who are not participants in the wholesale market and supply electricity to the retail market at regulated tariffs. In this case, the producer of electrical energy (power), in turn, must satisfy the following criterion: available power equal to or more than 25 MW per month.

Basic consumers include consumers who meet the following criteria: consumers with a maximum value of the declared purchased power equal to or more than 20 MW per month, and an annual number of hours of use of the declared purchased power equal to or more than 7500, confirmed by actual power consumption for the previous regulation period by meter readings or an automated system for monitoring and managing energy consumption and sales.

Group 2 - population.

This tariff group includes citizens who use electricity for household needs, as well as categories of consumers equal to the population to whom electricity (power) is supplied at regulated prices (tariffs).

Providers of public services (homeowners' associations, housing construction, housing or other specialized consumer cooperatives or management organizations), landlords (or their authorized persons) providing residential premises of a specialized housing stock to citizens; residential premises in dormitories, residential premises of a flexible fund, residential premises in houses of the social service system of the population, residential premises of a fund for the temporary settlement of internally displaced persons, for the temporary settlement of persons recognized as refugees, residential premises for the social protection of certain categories of citizens acquiring electrical energy (power ) for household consumption of the population in the volume of actual consumption of the population and the volume of electricity consumed in public places for the purpose of consumption for household needs of citizens and not used for commercial (professional) activities; guarantee suppliers, energy sales, energy supply organizations that purchase electrical energy (power) for the purpose of further sale to the population and equivalent categories of consumers, in the volume of actual consumption of the population and equivalent categories of consumers and the volume of electricity consumed in public places for the purpose of consumption on communal and household needs of citizens and not used for commercial (professional) activities; legal entities, in terms of the purchased volume of electrical energy (power) for the purpose of consumption by convicts in the premises for their detention, subject to the availability of separate accounting for these premises; legal entities and individuals, in terms of the purchased volume of electrical energy (power) for the purpose of consumption for household needs in populated areas, residential areas of military units, calculated under an electricity supply (purchase and sale) agreement using a common meter;

Gardening, gardening or dacha non-profit associations of citizens, joint outbuildings of individuals (cellars, sheds and other structures of similar purpose), religious organizations maintained at the expense of parishioners, public organizations of the disabled;

Non-profit associations of citizens (garage construction, garage cooperatives) and detached garages owned by citizens, in terms of the purchased volume of electrical energy for consumption for household needs of citizens and not used for commercial activities.

In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, state regulation of tariffs can be carried out separately in relation to electrical energy supplied to the population, within the social norm of consumption and in excess of the social norm of consumption, determined in the prescribed manner.

Group 3 - other consumers.

In order to formulate budget policy in the group “Other consumers”, consumers financed from budgets of the corresponding levels are indicated in a separate line.

Group 4 - organizations providing services for the transmission of electrical energy, purchasing it in order to compensate for losses in networks owned by these organizations by right of ownership or other legal basis.

Losses of electrical energy in electrical networks are paid by network organizations by purchasing electrical energy on the retail market from a guaranteeing supplier or energy sales organization at regulated prices (tariffs), determined in accordance with methodological guidelines approved by the federal executive body in the field of tariff regulation.

Currently, electricity sales to end consumers are carried out by sales companies, guarantee suppliers, energy sales and energy supply organizations.

The main representatives of this group of companies in the industry are sales companies that have received a special status - the status of a supplier of last resort, obliging the company to enter into energy supply agreements or electricity purchase and sale agreements with any client who contacts it in its area of ​​​​operation.

In addition to guaranteed suppliers, there are also independent energy sales companies. These are, first of all, companies that supply electrical energy and power to large consumers directly from the wholesale electricity and power market. In addition to such companies, there are also those that engage in the purchase and sale of electrical energy in retail markets. But there are significantly fewer such companies due to the peculiarities of market rules.

Unlike a supplier of last resort, an energy sales organization is free to enter into contracts with consumers and determine prices, except in cases where it simultaneously supplies consumer consumers. In this case, it is obliged to comply with the established procedure for determining supply volumes at regulated and unregulated prices, and the maximum levels of unregulated prices.

In accordance with the legislation, the status of a supplier of last resort in the relevant territories of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation is currently assigned to:

Undivided regional electric power companies (AO-energos) and (or) energy sales organizations created as a result of the reorganization of AO-energos;

Wholesale reseller enterprises and sales companies created on their basis that supply electricity to the population and budget-financed consumers in the amount of at least 50 million kWh per year;

Energy sales organizations serving consumers connected to the electrical networks of Russian Railways OJSC;

Business entities operating power grid facilities or generating facilities that do not have electrical connections with the Unified Energy System of Russia and isolated power systems (the so-called “islands”, a typical example is an oil production enterprise with its own diesel power plant).

Energy sales organizations determined by the Government of the Russian Federation for the purpose of supplying electrical energy to organizations under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Energy supply organizations are those organizations that continue to combine purchase and sale activities with electricity transmission activities. Such a combination is allowed within the boundaries of territories not included in the price zones of the wholesale market, and in technologically isolated areas.

Currently, about 300 guaranteeing suppliers are involved in sales activities in the retail electricity markets in Russia, of which 77 are large first-tier guaranteeing suppliers and 49 independent energy sales companies. 26 large consumers (participants in the wholesale electricity market) buy electricity for their own production needs directly on the wholesale market.

The specifics of manufacturers' activities in the retail market depend on their installed capacity. Producers of electrical energy with an installed generating capacity of over 25 MW can sell electrical energy and power only to a supplier of last resort. Producers of electrical energy whose installed generating capacity is less than 25 MW or equal to or exceeds 25 MW, but they are not subject to the requirement of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the electric power industry to sell the produced electrical energy (power) only on the wholesale market,

sell electricity on retail markets.

A producer of electrical energy on the retail market has the right

sell electrical energy (power) on the retail market at prices and in the volume determined by agreement of the parties to the relevant agreements, to any consumer located in the area of ​​activity of the guaranteeing supplier, in which the generating facility of this manufacturer is located, including the guaranteeing supplier itself.

A separate group of entities in retail electricity markets includes utility service providers who purchase electricity for the purpose of providing utility services to citizens. These include homeowners' associations, housing construction, housing or other specialized consumer cooperatives or management organizations.

The next group of subjects in the retail electricity markets are grid organizations. A network organization is a legal entity, regardless of its organizational and legal form, that owns, or on another legal basis, electrical networks and electrical energy conversion devices, and carries out business activities to provide comprehensive services related to the use of electrical networks.

Grid organizations are represented, firstly, by a giant company: the Federal Grid Company (hereinafter referred to as FSK), which owns the so-called backbone networks - that is, high-voltage power lines (mainly 220 kV, 330 kV, 500 kV). Relatively speaking, these are transport arteries that connect various energy systems across a vast territory of the country, that is, providing the possibility of flowing significant volumes of electricity and power over long distances, between remote large energy systems. FSK, therefore, is of strategic importance not only for the electricity industry, but also for the economy of the entire country. Therefore, it is controlled by the state, which owns almost 80% of the company's shares.

Secondly, grid organizations are represented by large interregional distribution grid companies (hereinafter referred to as IDGCs), united into a single holding - IDGC Holding. The main activity of JSC IDGC Holding is managing the distribution network complex and determining the strategy for its development.

The last group of network organizations is small territorial network organizations (hereinafter referred to as TGO). These organizations, as a rule, serve the power grids of small municipalities and may belong to both municipal authorities and private regional investors. The number of such organizations is large, but the share of their services in value terms in comparison with the cost of services of IDGC Holding and FSK is not so significant. It is also worth mentioning here the existence of ownerless networks - that is, such electrical networks, the ownership of which is not assigned to any owner. This became possible as a result of multiple economic transformations that have shaken the country's economy over the past decades.

In 2011, there were 64 regional distribution network companies operating in the retail markets of Russia, which were branches of IDGC Holding OJSC, 5 distribution network companies - branches of Far Eastern Distribution Grid Company OJSC, 5 independent distribution network companies, departmental electric networks of Russian Railways OJSC and other large owners, several thousand lower-level distribution network companies owned by municipalities and other owners.

Centralized operational dispatch control in the Unified Energy System of Russia is carried out by JSC System Operator of the Unified Energy System (hereinafter referred to as JSC SO UES), as well as its territorial divisions. The system operator manages the electrical power regimes in the power system. His commands are mandatory for execution by subjects of operational dispatch control (primarily for generating and grid companies). JSC SO UES ensures the unity and efficient operation of technological mechanisms of the wholesale and retail markets of electric energy and capacity.

Within technologically isolated territorial power systems, mode control is carried out by a separate company, which is entrusted with the functions of operational dispatch control in the local power system. This could be a network organization.

For the development and functioning of the commercial infrastructure of the wholesale and retail markets of our country, the non-profit partnership “Market Council” (NP “Market Council”) is responsible, and, secondly, its subsidiaries: OJSC “ATS” - also a commercial operator and CJSC "CFR" - a financial settlement center that carries out calculations and offsets of counter financial obligations and claims.

NP "Market Council", whose members are all participants in the Wholesale Electric Market, develops and finalizes an agreement on joining the trading system of the wholesale market, which is mandatory for all participants in the Wholesale Market. This agreement, taking into account the annexes - regulations of the WECM, determines the rules and procedure for the functioning of the WECM, describing in detail the various processes, payment procedures, etc. The accession agreement must comply with the Wholesale Market Rules approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, as well as other regulatory legal acts. When changes are made to the WECM Rules, changes are also made to the connection agreement. Important decisions are made and approved by the Market Council Supervisory Board. The Market Council also develops rules for the functioning of retail markets (within its powers) and is responsible for the development of the industry based on a balance of interests of electricity industry entities.

OJSC "ATS" is a commercial operator of the wholesale market. It organizes the work of the market and the interaction of market participants.

CJSC "CFR" carries out financial settlements on the market.

Control and regulation in the industry, within the limits of their powers, is carried out by various executive authorities: both of the Russian Federation and its constituent entities.

The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Energy of Russia) has a direct influence on processes in the industry. It develops and implements state policy and legal regulation in the field of the fuel and energy complex, provides public services, manages state property in the production and use of fuel and energy resources. The Ministry of Energy of Russia ensures the sustainable development of the electric power industry, pursues policies aimed at developing energy saving, attracts investments in all areas of the electric power industry and exercises state control over the efficiency of investments in the sphere of activity of natural monopolies.

The Federal Tariff Service (FST of Russia) and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Economic Development of Russia) play a significant role. The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia forms the pricing policy in the electric power industry, together with the Ministry of Energy of Russia and the Federal Tariff Service of Russia carries out the development and implementation of unified approaches to regulating prices (tariffs) for the services of natural monopolies in the electric power industry, and also, together with the Ministry of Energy of Russia, carries out transformations in the sectors of natural monopolies in the electric power industry aimed to reduce infrastructural barriers to economic development, stimulate increased efficiency of such sectors and develop competition.

On the part of the federal subjects in the retail market, executive authorities in the field of tariff regulation (regional energy commissions, tariff committees, etc.) participate in regulating the industry.

Figure 1 - Structure of retail electricity markets in Russia