The National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) will gradually switch to the European practice of charging differentiated rates for gas and electricity distribution. This means that the charges will be calculated depending on the tension of the distribution systems, on the pressure in gas pipes, and on the consumption of electricity and gas. ANRE general director Vitalie Iurcu stated Tuesday, October 16, at the meeting of the Economic Reporters Club that each consumer should pay the real price of the service and not the average, as it is currently done. So, the household consumers, who receive electricity through low-tension lines of 0.4 kV, which imply higher power transportation costs, should pay more than entities, which are connected to high and medium-tension lines. Vitalie Iurcu claims that differentiated rates will cancel out the so-called crossed subventions – when entities pay over the real value and subsidise this way the households. According to the ANRE director, the elimination of such subsidies is stipulated by the co-operation agreement between the Government and the International Monetary Fund. Anatol Saracuta, ANRE audit department head, explained that throughout the world electricity tariffs for households are by 30-40 percent higher than those set for the entities connected to high-voltage power lines. From August, economic entities connected to the 110 kV power lines serviced by the electricity distributors RED-Chisinau, RED-Centru and RED-Sud pay 0.69 lei per kWh, compared with 0.96 lei per kWh paid by consumers. RED-Nord and RED-Nord-Vest do not charge yet differentiated rates – all the consumers pay 1.01 lei/kWh.