The new tariffs will be introduced in Moscow, effective March 1, and in Moscow region from February 20.

In Moscow, tariffs for industrial consumers will reach, depending on voltage (low, medium, high), 63,57 kop./kWt·h, 105,67 kop./kWt·h and 108,8 kop./kWt·h, respectively. From March 1, households will pay 74 kop./kWt·h (for owners of electric stoves) or 105 kop./kWt·h (for owners of gas stoves), while rural population will pay 74 kop./kWt·h. Tariffs for railways using high-voltage electric power will amount to 70,81 kop./kWt·h, while medium-voltage railway consumers will pay 93,68 kop./kWt·h. Electricity tariffs for subways will equal 90 kop./kWt·h. Budget-funded entities will be charged 84,4 kop./kWt·h for high-voltage consumption and 103,74 kop./kWt·h for medium-voltage consumption.

Heat tariffs in Moscow for budget-funded entities will increase, effective March 1, to 282 rub./GCal, or by 5.2%. Industrial or similar consumers will pay 361 rub./GCal, or 25.3% more. Heat tariffs for population grew from 124 rub./GCal to 155 rub./GCal.

In Moscow region, residential consumers with gas stoves will pay for electricity 98 kop./kWt·h, and those with electric stoves – 83 kop./kWt·h. Budget-funded entities will pay 86 kop./kWt·h. Major industrial high-voltage consumers which consume more than 10 mln kWt·h/year will be charged 82 kop./kWt·h. In addition, the population of the Moscow region will have to pay more for heating. Heat tariffs will grow to 300 rub./GCal.

However, while setting tariffs for AO MOSENERGO, the Moscow regional commission made some methodological mistakes. In particular, it did not take into account so-called "lost" revenues of AO MOSENERGO in the period from January 1 to March 1, 2003.

AO MOSENERGO insists that tariffs should be justified from the economic standpoint. They should take into account expenditures for generation, transmission and distribution of electric energy, as well as further development of generation capacity in the light of growing consumption. REC's tariffs barely cover production costs and don't take into account investment needs.

The artificial lowering of tariffs may eventually result in AO MOSENERGO's being unable to meet ever growing heat and electricity demand in Moscow region by using its own capacities.