The order by which consumers can conclude contracts on the competitive market until March 31 only with current suppliers does not distort competition in the market, but ANRE will analyze this issue together with the Competition Council, said Zoltan Nagy-Bege, vice president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE).

It is a draft order that offers home consumers the opportunity to opt until March 31 to conclude a contract on the competitive market with their supplier, and the price in the competitive offer will apply from January 1.

Basically, the invoices for the first three months will be regularized, but this will only happen if the consumer stays with the current supplier, which could affect the competition in the market, according to some specialists.

“We launched the project in public debate precisely to clarify these things. Anyone who has proposals and observations has a deadline to send them until January 14. In other news, ANRE has an Advisory Board in which there is a representative of the Competition Council. Any order also goes through the Advisory Council, so it reaches the Competition Council, which has the opportunity to raise these issues and any opinions are welcome. So, we will analyze these issues together with the Competition Council and our lawyers,” said Bege, according to Agerpres.

He specified that, from his point of view, ANRE’s proposal does not violate the principle of competition between companies and does not benefit the current suppliers of the domestic customers.

“I do not oblige any household consumer to stay with the supplier he is now with, he is free to sign with the same supplier he is with, but it is his decision. Obviously, from a bureaucratic point of view it is easier to stay with the same supplier, for that all the necessary documents for contracting do not have to be submitted, all these must be sent by e-mail. So bureaucratically, administratively speaking, it is easier for the customer to stay with the same supplier. But not necessarily from the point of view of price,” said the ANRE VP.

According to him, the order gives the possibility for the same discount to be offered by the other suppliers, so as to determine the consumers to conclude contracts with them.

The new order of ANRE, through which consumers can conclude contracts on the competitive market until March 31 only with their current supplier, can seriously and long-term affect the competition on the market, said Răzvan Nicolescu, energy expert and former President of the European Energy Regulatory Agency (ACER).