Domestic electricity consumers should conclude new contracts on the free market, where they find lower prices than they would pay if they stay with the old contracts, from January 1, said Virgil Popescu, Minister of Energy.

This is in the context in which, from January 1, 2021, the electricity market will be completely liberalized, and consumers who remain with the old contracts will pay higher bills with values between 13% and 26%.

Asked by Agerpres what he recommends consumers to do in these conditions, the minister replied: “There is the competitive market (free market), which is cheaper than the universal market (the old regulated market – no.) And there is Hidroelectrica, which has a lower price starting with January 1. People should look at the ANRE website, at the price offers, and choose the best offer. I said also about two weeks ago, when Hidroelectrica announced a reduction of 4% of the price of electricity from January 1, that anyone that is not satisfied with the current supplier can choose a supplier from the competitive market, respectively can move to Hidroelectrica, which so far offers the lowest price and from January lower than this year’s price and lower than the regulated price which is valid until December 31.”

Also ANRE officials remommend the consumers to opt for the free market. Thus, Zoltan Nagy-Bege, vice-president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), said that “from now on – and this is normal – the prices in the competitive market will be lower than the universal service prices.”

“First of all, the prices are no longer set by ANRE. The suppliers will set their universal service prices according to the energy acquisition costs. I expect this and we have been communicating this to ANRE for years – and this is normal – as the universal service price should be the highest price on the market, because universal service is like a safety net for consumers who, for various reasons, are left without a supplier: the supplier goes bankrupt, decides to leave the market or give up contracts. Ultimate suppliers have an obligation to take over those consumers overnight and must purchase additional energy from the Day Ahead Market or Balancing Market, where are the highest prices,” Bege explained.