The dynamics of prices in the agricultural, food, tobacco, and energy industries are opposite to those in electricity and gas, but the search for savings continues to involve enterprises. The prices paid by enterprises for electricity and gas on the domestic market have increased by 35.9% compared to a year ago, according to Istat. This data does not necessarily coincide with the prices paid by individual enterprises, which depend on supply contracts.

Excluding energy, the prices for production in industry have decreased by 3.5%. For enterprises in the food industry, the dynamics are opposite: in the same month, according to Istat, the prices for production of food, beverages, and tobacco have decreased by 1.4% on an annual basis. A food processing plant consumes energy in two directions: heating for cooking, pasteurizing, sterilizing, and washing, then cooling for preservation, seasoning, and keeping the chain of refrigeration.

Milk, for example, is first heated for pasteurization and then immediately cooled. Often, the two functions are entrusted to separate plants, even though the heat produced by the systems of refrigerators could be recovered and reused. The search for savings continues to involve enterprises, but it is difficult to find solutions that are both economical and practical.

Enterprises are seeking to reduce their costs through production line management and consumption monitoring. The volatility of energy prices has made cost planning more complex and has pushed enterprises to closely monitor their own costs and future trends. However, the search for savings should not be limited only to energy.

Enterprises are seeking to improve their productivity and increase their competitiveness through the research of new technologies and processes. In conclusion, while the dynamics of prices in the agricultural, food, tobacco, and energy industries is opposite to electricity and gas, the search for savings continues to involve enterprises and is changing the way industries work and manage.