Gas suppliers can no longer give up their license if they do not solve the problem of their customers first, the representatives of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) said on Tuesday.

“ANRE has amended the licensing regulations so that suppliers requesting voluntary license withdrawal must first resolve the issue with their customers. This means that they must notify them and give them time to enter into contracts with other suppliers. ANRE will approve the request to renounce the license only if it is accompanied by the proof that all the clients have concluded other contracts,” the ANRE representatives specified, according to Agerpres.

According to ANRE, there is also the situation in which a supplier’s license is automatically withdrawn because he no longer has a contract with Transgaz, but in that case, the supplier assumes the payment of some imbalances in the system.

In the last two months, ANRE has received six applications to renounce the gas supply license. The largest suppliers that requested this are Restart Energy, with almost 23,000 customers, and Tulcea Gaz, with almost 16,000 customers, the rest having an insignificant number of consumers.

“No consumer risks being left without gas. ANRE designates a supplier of last resort (FUI), ie a supplier who can take them at the lowest price. ANRE can force that FUI to take over these customers,” the regulator added. .

They also said that they received a request from Engie to give up the status of supplier of last resort, but ANRE can force the company to be FUI if it has the lowest prices on the market.

Last week, Restart Energy announced that it had decided to give up natural gas supply and estimates that the current crisis in the energy market will lead to insolvencies and the disappearance of other companies.