Premier Energy and Furnizarea Energiei Electrice Nord on Thursday requested the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER) to review the regulated prices of electrical energy down following the signing of a contract for the purchase of electricity between Energocom and the Kuchurgan power plant (MGRES), IPN reports.

Premier Energy, which powers households in central and southern Moldova, asked a charge of 4.62 lei/kWh, down from the current charge of 5.91 lei/kWh.

Furnizarea Energiei Electrice Nord, which serves consumers in the northern districts, sought a charge of 5.35 lei/kWh, down from 5.60 lei/kWh at the moment.

The new electricity charges, which were raised for the fifth time this year, took effect on December 2.

Recently, SA Energocom signed a contract for the supply of about 204,000 MW of electricity with MGRES for December. The price of electricity for December was agreed at US$73. As a result, the Commission for Exceptional Situations decided that ICS Premier Energy SRL and SA Furnizarea Energiei Electrice Nord, within a workday of the signing of the new contract for the purchase of electrical energy, will request the NAER to adjust the prices. The Agency is to examine and approve the new charges within three days.