the Average bill of electricity paid by households in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area in November this year It amounted to $38,587, which placed it at the lowest level of Javier Maili’s entire administration and reached a value similar, in real terms, to that of the 1990s.According to a report issued by the Institute of Economics UADE.
Historical analysis shows that the cost of the electric energy basket for December 2015 was the lowest in the past 30 yearsEquivalent to US$4,011 at November 2025 prices. On the other hand, The maximum value was recorded in February 2024currently equivalent to $79,292 USD, while the historical average is approximately $26,822 USD.
Over the past three decades, The gap between the highest and lowest bill was 20 timesThis reflects the high price fluctuations that households face when paying for public services. Currently, the real value of the electricity bill is 53% lower than the peak recorded in February 2024, according to the report.
Differences in electricity prices have historically been more responsive Changes in political trends and electoral conditions Of the real costs of providing the service. It is common for administrations to implement price adjustments after electoral processes and reduce price increases or freeze prices before them.
So, Although the current value of the average bill is 40% higher than the historical average, its relative weight over salary is the lowest in decades. However, the current cost is still more than double the lowest level recorded during the previous administration of the government.
Service and income rates
Every month, families in Argentina They allocate a portion of their income to cover the costs of public services. Such as electricity, water, gas, and other consumptions that constitute part of the total household spending. The provision of electrical energy to homes, as a public service, is regulated by the national state to ensure equality and the well-being of society.
Therefore, the residential consumption rate price is determined by a decision of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ENRE), subordinate to the Ministry of Economy (MECON), which in turn depends on the National Executive Authority (PEN). Therefore, the level of tariffs is partly determined by the social and political context that results in country policies which usually vary according to national administrations.
In the UADE analysis, the evolution of the level of electricity prices in the City of Buenos Aires (CABA) was analyzed based on the different departments that were responsible for the PEN from 1996 to the present. Two alternatives were used for evaluation, In real terms and salary effortand changes in electricity price levels, discounting the observed effect that inflation has on all prices in the Argentine economy.
They both consist of monitoring the development Consumption basket 250 kWh. The first alternative is based on updating all monthly baskets to a fixed purchasing power currency in November 2025. The second approach is to proportion each monthly basket based on the average salary in the registered private sector. Thus, the weight of the electricity consumption basket in the average wage in each period is obtained..
While the methodology allows price variation to be evaluated separately without its impact on purchasing power, i.e. the real price; The other allows us to infer, more precisely, the differences in The effort families face to pay for the servicewithout necessarily reflecting price changes that are isolated from changes in salaries, i.e. family effort.
Tariff policy according to governments
In both approaches, it was observed that during the periods In the periods 1996-1999 and 2001-2002, the electricity rate remained at a constant level in real termsDespite notable fluctuations regarding salaries. This fluctuation is explained more by a decline in the purchasing power of the average wage than by changes in rates.
from In the period from 2003 to 2015, a noticeable decrease was observed The cost of electrical energy, either in real terms or as a percentage of salary. However, the decline is more pronounced with respect to the average wage, which is revealing An increase in the purchasing power of wages In this period.
During the period In the period 2016-2019, rates rose moderately in real termswhile its weight in salary increased to a greater extent, indicating a significant decrease in real salary.
Between 2020 and 2023, both in real terms and in terms of effort, the basket of electricity consumption first decreases and then increases significantly. finally, With the beginning of 2024, a noticeable increase is observed, followed by a continuous decline until the present, which finds its lowest value in the Miley administration.
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