Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva sent a recommendation to Chairman of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission /EWRC/ eng. Ivan Ivanov, in which she strongly insists that no new increase in the prices of heating and electricity for household customers should be allowed from 1 January next year.
„It is my firm opinion that in the current situation, any increase in energy prices, even minimal, will be difficult to bear for household customers, given the accelerated inflationary processes, the health crisis, the complex situation on the labour market and the generally deteriorated ratio between income and expenditure of Bulgarian citizens.“
Assoc. Prof. Kovacheva emphasized that so far it is not clear whether they have been imported and what the requests of the licensed energy companies for possible changes in prices are. She claimed that this raises doubts about the non-transparency of the procedures within which the new regulated prices of electricity, hot water and heating for the first half of 2022 will be formed.
„Taking into account the published information from “Toplofikatsia”- Sofia EAD for short-term revenue in the amount of BGN 164.4 million, as far as the price of heat is influenced by other factors, I expect an objective assessment of the effect of record high stock prices of electricity in 2021 on the revenues of district heating companies that produce electricity in a highly efficient combined way.“, the Ombudsman pointed out and added:
„I also expect you to clarify whether the new price proposals will be affected by the Commission’s decisions for the period 01.07.2019 – 31.03.2020, concerning “Toplofikatsia”- Sofia EAD and “Toplofikatsia”- Burgas EAD, in relattion to court rulings. solutions, as it is unacceptable for household customers to pay for old errors of the regulator.“
In her recommendation, she insists that in the course of a comprehensive analysis of the price-forming elements of the EWRC to reveal all reserves and use all appropriate legal mechanisms in order not to increase the prices of electricity and heating for household customers.
„The draft decisions of the EWRC need to be published early enough to allow for a thorough and thorough public discussion and not to apply an abbreviated procedure for amending the prices in order to hear all the views of stakeholders and to ensure transparency in decision-making.“, Kovacheva wrote in conclusion.
