The Minister of Economy, Energy and Business Environment, Virgil Popescu, stated that he changed his traditional gas supplier three weeks ago, and now he pays a 15% lower bill and recommends that all household consumers do the same if they are dissatisfied.
He pointed out that after the full liberalization of the gas market, which took place on July 1, we can already see the first offers with lower prices than the two large traditional suppliers, E.ON (in the northern half of the country) and Engie (in the southern half).
“The first sign of lowering the price was given by a company (Engie –e.n.) of the two big ones, which announced a decrease of 10% and of 15%. It has already been announced for about ten days. Today (Monday – e.n.) for a change, we saw the boldest offer on the market, an electricity company (Electrica – e.n.), practically the largest player on the electricity market, entered the gas market strongly and announced a 15% discount on the price of natural gas,” he said.
Popescu claimed that, according to his information, other companies will also come with offers on the gas market, so that, since autumn, when the population’s consumption will increase, the bills will decrease.
“If there are still companies that will speculate on buying cheap gas and selling it more expensively to the population, we will intervene in the market. For the time being, I don’t think it is the case, we await the players in the market to reform their offers and come towards the citizens, towards the domestic consumer, to offer a good price for natural gas. In the background of the decrease of the natural gas price for the domestic customer, it will also decrease for the industrial customer, which makes me even happier because it will practically increase the competitiveness of the Romanian industry. Large gas consumers will have cheaper sources and automatically their products will be cheaper and more competitive,” the minister told Agerpres.
Asked if he personally concluded a new contract in the gas market, Popescu said he changed his traditional supplier, Engie, three weeks ago.
“I moved to Electrica. Both for electricity and natural gas. Because I had electricity from one supplier and gas from another, not Electrica, I moved, I have a package at Electrica. Today (Monday – e.n.) Electrica announced a cut (15% – e.n.). I moved before that. It was cheaper than I had on that date. I wanted to move because it didn’t seem normal to me… At least to signal in the market that if the two big ones don’t decrease prices, I will move. I can’t stay captive to a gas supplier that has no reaction in the market when market prices have fallen. Today, Electrica announced a three-week drop after I moved,” the government official said.