Household consumers who do not sign a new electricity contract until January 1 are not in danger of being disconnected, as announced by some suppliers and as circulated in the public space, said on Thursday, representatives of the Romanian Energy Suppliers Association (AFER), in an online meeting with the press.

From January 1, the electricity market will be completely liberalized, and household consumers have the choice to either stay with the old contract, at a price called “universal service”, approved by the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), or to sign a new contract with the current supplier or with another one licensed by ANRE, according to Agerpres.

Recently, the information has been circulating in the public space that people are obliged to conclude new contracts, which is false, say the AFER representatives.

“With the liberalization of the market, there must be no worry that you will run out of energy. No! All consumers will continue to be supplied according to the option they have: change the contract or continue, they will continue to be supplied,” said Ion Lungu, the president of AFER.

In his turn, Cristi Culea, member of the Board of Directors of AFER, reinforced this idea.

“No one is left without energy, and consumers have been informed by suppliers about this. Prices for the new universal service, for consumers who will not choose new contracts in the free market, will be made on the basis of energy purchases from suppliers and we are still in a deficient production area, which means that suppliers will also take energy from the market, where there is a rule of supply and demand,” said the suppliers’ representative.

ANRE has not yet endorsed universal service prices and, according to market information, this will happen at the next meeting of the Regulatory Committee, which will take place on December 23.