In Irkutsk region, Bitcoin miners face higher electricity tariffs after court ruling

Irkutskenergosbyt filed 85 lawsuits against crypto-farm owners in private homes for 73.3 million rubles.

Irkutskenergosbyt filed 85 lawsuits against owners of crypto farms in private homes, totaling 73.3 million rubles, according to Kommersant.

In nine cases the company managed to shift the farms from residential tariffs to commercial rates. After recalculation, the energy supplier will be able to refund 18.7 million rubles.

The region has the cheapest electricity prices in Russia. For rural residents the tariff is 0.86 rubles per kWh, and for small businesses — 3.6 rubles.

Since January, Irkutskenergosbyt has detected more than 1,000 cases of “gray” mining.

The first mine was uncovered in 2019 in the village of Plishkino. A house of 148.5 square metres consumed 193,000 kWh a month, about a quarter of the village’s total consumption. Following the court ruling, the homeowner was issued an electricity recalculation totaling more than 7.5 million rubles, of which he has already paid 6.9 million rubles.

As reported in October, the governor of Irkutsk Oblast, Igor Kobzev, complained to the government about increased electricity consumption caused by miners. In response, regional entrepreneurs proposed introducing special electricity tariffs.

The Irkutsk experience could, in the future, be extended nationwide – the Ministry of Energy has already ruled out applying a preferential tariff for Bitcoin miners.

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