The Regulatory Committee of ANRE approved on Thursday the a 2% increase in the prices for the household customers in the regulated market, with effect from April 1st, 2017.
“In determining the regulated prices the provisions of the methodology approved by the ANRE Order 182/2015 have been taken into account, as amended and supplemented, in accordance with the provisions of GEO 64/2016, according to which, starting with April 1st, 2017, the natural gas from indigenous sources will be sold on the competitive market, including for the household customers, without establishing a selling price”, according to ANRE.
Although the domestic production of natural gas is liberalized, ANRE has still the obligation to establish regulated prices for the household customers and thus to monitor the development of the competitive gas market.
In his turn, the Minister of Energy claims that the population will be protected until June 30th, 2021 by final prices regulated by ANRE.
“We analyzed all the observations and no sufficient technical arguments have been identified, in order for Romania to postpone again a process that should have been implemented since 2007, the year of joining the European Union, however with some risks. I mean, firstly, the resuming by the European Commission of the procedure by which the Romanian state is subject to European fines, but also to the loss of over 180 million euros for the BRUA interconnector, necessary for Romania’s gas supply security.
“Regarding the concerns from the public regarding a possible substantial increase of the gas price for the population after the liberalization, it is also unjustified. The population will be protected until June 30th, 2021 with final prices regulated by the National Authority for Energy Regulation. Another advantage is that, after April 1st, 2017, the trading of natural gas will be performed in terms of economic efficiency through a transparent procurement process that will allow non-discriminatory access for all the participants on the market”, said Toma Petcu, Minister of Energy.
ANRE claims that although the market is free, the regulated component does not disappear for households.
“We note that, currently, any household customer has the option to remain in the regulated natural gas – in which the gas supply is carried out based on the regulated framework agreements supply at a regulated price, both established by ANRE, or to move on the competitive market – on which the supplier sells natural gas to the final customer at a price and commercial terms of delivery agreed with the customer by negotiation or, where appropriate, at the price and commercial terms from the offer for which the final customer had chosen”, reads the release.
Also during the meeting from Thursday the distribution tariffs at Distrigaz Sud Retele have been approved, declining, on average, by 4.16%.
The request for approval of the distribution tariffs for Delgaz Grid (the former E.On Distributie) is currently, under consideration within the authority.
