National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has extended until June 30 the period in which household energy consumers who were previously regulated can choose an offer in the competitive market from their supplier, it is shown in a new draft order of ANRE.

Thus, from January 1, these consumers automatically switch to the new universal service market and the novelty is that if they choose their supplier’s offer on the competitive market by June 30, their bills will be offset, so that offer would also apply from January 1, according to Agerpres.

“Providers of last resort may apply to home customers of the universal service, without discrimination and conditionality, a commercial discount from 1 January 2021 until at least 30 June 2021, equal to the difference between the price in the universal service offer applicable in the period January 1 – June 30, 2021 and the price from the competitive offer provided in paragraph (2) valid on January 1, 2021,” according to the new order.

ANRE claims that, of the approximately 5,700,000 household customers that had concluded regulated electricity contracts at the end of 2020, only a small part was interested in choosing an offer on the competitive electricity market, and those who expressed interest in this regard were faced with difficulties both in the analysis of market offers and in contacting potential suppliers.