Optimization of enterprises' costs for the purchase of energy resources and assessment of the economic feasibility of purchasing forwards for natural gas

Abstract

The article is devoted to analyzing the energy market of Ukraine to introduce innovative approaches to reduce the costs of non-household consumers. The main problems of the functioning of the natural gas market of Ukraine, related to the organizational mechanism of trade in short-term and long-term standardized products under defined conditions, are considered. It is noted that the active development of gas exchange trade in Ukraine, which was taking place, is complicated by the problems of supply and gas in war conditions and the generalized advantages and disadvantages of options for purchasing natural gas for non-household consumers. The work states that natural gas consumers, regardless of the gas purchase scheme, are faced with the problem of a local rapid increase in the price of energy carriers. This leads to a decrease in business margins and a threat to the sustainable development of the enterprise. Based on the existing legislation in Ukraine and the organizational mechanism for regulating energy markets, a mechanism for fixing the price of natural gas in Ukraine for enterprises is proposed by purchasing volumes of natural gas in the period of lowest consumption and selecting it in the required period. An economic evaluation of the expediency of fixing the price of natural gas in order to reduce the costs of energy resources was carried out. A decrease in natural gas costs to non-domestic consumers when the price is fixed in the period of the lowest consumption has been demonstrated. The assessment showed that the volume of purchases significantly affects the overall efficiency. It is noted that the following points require further research: determination of periods of stable low prices and their duration, as well as the impact of the cost of using the funds involved in the purchase of natural gas. A proposed strategy for purchasing natural gas using forward and futures contracts, when enterprises can ensure stable and predictable gas supply conditions, contributes to effective cost management and business planning. Keywords: natural gas, optimal strategy, markets of exhaustible resources, energy market, demand for resources, supply of resources.