Nicolae Havrilet, head of the country’s energy watchdog ANRE said Thursday that natural gas price will hike by 2 percent for household consumers and by 5 percent for industrial consumers on the regulated market, as of April 1, adding that electric power price will not increase.
Havrilet participated in a debate held by the Industry Commission of the Deputy Chamber where he presented ANRE’s activities last year. Asked what price hikes can be expected from April 1, Havrilet answered:
“We’re not planning on increasing the price for electricity, but natural gas has a scheduled price hike in the calendar agreed on with international partners and it deals with a 2 pct price hike for household consumers”.
Industrial consumers will pay 5 pct more for their natural gas, the official added.
“For industrial consumers on the regulated market, and I make this highlight because we have consumers in the free market also, for those in the regulated market, which stand at 15 pct of the total, prices will go up 5 percent”.
Asked if there are other price hikes planned, Havrilet avoided to give a direct answer but did say that his institution is anticipating the market will calm down after July 1.
When asked about criticism against the accelerated increase of prices, Havrilet replied that consumers in the industries are free to take their chances on the free market.
“In the free market the prices are designed according to supply and demand and they are not the equivalent of prices in the regulated market. The regulated market represents 15 percent of the total consumers, generally smaller, and it’s not about the big industries that can choose: they can remain withing the boundaries of the regulated market that sets tariffs according to a calendar or they can go on the free market and negotiate directly with the suppliers for another price”, Havrilet explained.