Buenos Aires judge extends electricity tariff freeze to cooperatives

A judicial injunction in Buenos Aires Province has been extended to include more than 200 electricity cooperatives, halting recent increases in electricity tariffs. Judge Agustín López Cóppola clarified that the suspension, which initially targeted major distributors such as EDELAP, EDES, EDEA, and EDEN, also applies to public electricity service providers under provincial and municipal jurisdiction.

The ruling suspends the tariff schedule that took effect on August 1, which included hikes to provincial components like the Value Added Distribution (VAD). Electricity providers are now required to cease these increases and issue bills based on the previous pricing scheme.

For consumers who have already paid amounts based on the new rates, the court ordered that those sums must be credited as a balance in their favor on their next invoice. The Organismo de Control de Energía Eléctrica de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (OCEBA) has been tasked with formally communicating this decision to all affected cooperatives, including those serving areas such as Pinamar, Villa Gesell, and La Costa.