Bulgaria's regulator says power and heating prices will hold, gas likely to rise
Electricity and district heating prices will not change on Jan. 1, regulator chief Plamen Mladenovski said. Bulgargaz's requested 34% gas price increase will not be approved in full.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Household electricity and district heating prices in Bulgaria will not change on Jan. 1, the head of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (KEVR), Plamen Mladenovski, told public broadcaster BNT on Tuesday evening. He was responding to concerns over sharply higher wholesale prices after the Bulgarian Independent Energy Exchange closed its day-ahead segment at 254.58 euros per megawatt hour.
Mladenovski said the Energy Act allows the regulator to review prices from Jan. 1 until the end of the regulatory period on July 1. KEVR will use those tools to keep regulated prices unchanged despite rising prices on the free market, he said.
Natural gas is a different matter. State supplier Bulgargaz has asked for a 34% increase for November, from about 44 to 59 euros per megawatt hour. Mladenovski said the commission would by no means allow such a huge increase, but some rise is likely because of sharply higher prices on European exchanges. KEVR will discuss the request at an open hearing on Wednesday.