Electricity Price Parameters as a Basis for Energy Demand Management in Regions

Energy cost management (more than 45 % in the structure of total costs) can significantly reduce own energy supply costs and improve operational efficiency of an enterprise. The study examines regional electricity price parameters, affected by retail and wholesale electricity markets, in terms of the possibilities for industrial enterprises to implement price-dependent demand management to reduce energy purchase costs. The article aims to distribute Russian regions according to the prospects for reducing energy purchase costs by managing electricity demand schedules. The following methods were utilised: statistical analysis of hourly average electricity prices per year, month and day in the regional context; mathematical modelling and calculation of authors' coefficients of average electricity prices and coefficients of daily price volatility for assessing prospects for effective energy demand management in Russian regions; construction of positioning maps for grouping and identifying regions where the implementation of price-dependent demand management is possible. Electricity price parameters of all Russian regions were examined. The paper analysed principles of electricity pricing for domestic industrial enterprises, researched the impact of price volatility on energy purchase costs, assessed the contribution of electricity costs to total energy consumption costs of enterprises. Coefficients of average electricity prices, coefficients of daily price volatility and coefficients of efficiency of price-dependent electricity consumption were applied to study electricity price parameters in the regional context. As a result, the article presented a map of electricity price parameters, where regions are grouped according to the possibility of implementing demand management mechanisms. Additionally, specific practical recommendations on price-dependent demand management for electricity consumption of industrial enterprises were given for each identified regional group.