Energocom justifies the request for an increase in the regulated price of natural gas due to rising acquisition costs on international markets. The company maintains that the price of gas purchased from the exchange has risen from about 30 euros to 56 euros per MWh, which has generated financial losses for the supplier, reports IPN.
In a press conference, the interim director of Energocom, Eugeniu Buzatu, stated that the difference between the estimated price and the actual procurement costs of gas led to the accumulation of a deficit of approximately 106 million lei. The amount represents over 1% of the company’s total regulated income, estimated at around eight billion lei at the beginning of the year.
According to the company’s representatives, the increase in gas prices was influenced by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which amplified market volatility. In recent months, prices have seen rapid increases, with differences of up to 10 euros for an MWh in just a few days, making it difficult to purchase gas at a stable price.
Under these conditions, Energocom, as a public service obligation provider, states that it is obliged to request a tariff revision to reflect the actual costs.
“If prices are not adjusted according to reality, Energocom will continue to accumulate those deviations, which it will recover later in another tariff exercise. But again, this issue falls within the competence of the regulator,” stated Eugeniu Buzatu.
The representatives of the supplier have stated that the request sent to ANRE represents a technical procedure for financial balancing, and the final decision will belong to the regulator. The company mentioned that, if international prices will decrease and the market will stabilize, it will request a reduction of the tariff for end consumers.
Energocom has requested an increase in the regulated price for consumers connected to low-pressure distribution networks from 13.35 lei to 19.37 lei per cubic meter, excluding VAT. The request is set to be reviewed by ANRE.
