Bulgaria utilities regulator cuts gas, heating prices – and leaves electricity prices flat

Bulgaria’s Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) said on June 30 that electricity prices will remain largely unchanged, while natural gas and central heating prices will go down starting July 1.

Earlier this week, EWRC ruled to lower the price of gas by 10 per cent, setting it at 288.8 leva for 1000 cubic metres (VAT and excise duties excluded). EWRC chairperson Ivan Ivanov said at on June 28 that the stabilisation of gas prices on world markets made another price cut before the end of the year unlikely.

As a result of lower gas prices, the regulator said it was reducing heating prices as well, although the cuts – by 2.5 per cent on average – were lower than the 5.5 per cent initially envisioned by the EWRC. One of the higher price declines was in the capital city of Sofia, where heating prices will go down by 3.4 per cent, while customers in Plovdiv will pay 2.5 per cent less and those in Varna will see their bills fall by 1.6 per cent.

Electricity prices for households will remain largely unchanged, on average, although customers in northern and north-eastern Bulgaria – the areas serviced by electricity distributor Energo-Pro – will pay 0.9 per cent less, and customers in southern and south-eastern Bulgaria serviced by EVN will see their bills rise by 0.8 per cent. Areas in western Bulgaria, including Sofia, that are serviced by CEZ, will pay the same rate as before, EWRC said.

(Photo: greenhitma/sxc.hu)

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