In the 2024-2025 heating season, compensation for energy resources will be granted directly to low-income consumers, in monetary form. A draft law in this regard was given a first reading by Parliament, IPN reports.
According to the document, the notion of energy vulnerability category will no longer be used. The compensation will be calculated based on the energy vulnerability specific to each household. Households will also be encouraged to use energy more efficiently, as unspent funds from compensation can be redirected to other needs.
Another provision refers to the simplification of the administration of the compensation system, which will help reduce the administrative burden on energy suppliers, which previously calculated the compensatory payment, and provide more transparency regarding the allocation of compensation.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection will be the institution responsible for setting and calculating the compensation, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process. More specifically, the monetary energy compensation will be paid to applicants by the National House of Social Insurance, through the government e-payment gateway Mpay.
In her speech, the MP of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists Inga Sibov criticized the draft law, noting that she does not understand what improvements it brings. Sibov said now that the on-bill compensation was abandoned, the consumers will have to take more money out of the family budget and they will have to save because they will not know what category of vulnerability they are part of and what charge they will pay.
The parliamentarian also criticized the fact that the consumers will be offered compensation in monetary form. In his opinion, there is a risk that the people will not pay the bills with this money and thus they will accumulate debts towards suppliers. Also, Inga Sibov does not see any ease for the citizens since they will have to go to the post office every month to collect the compensation.
In this connection, Corina Ajder, secretary of state of the Ministry of Labor, said that the people have three possibilities to withdraw money – on the social card, on another card, which they prefer, or at the post office, if they do not have a card. Ajder also denied other assertions made by Sibov. "It is not true that the people will have to put money aside, to save, unlike in previous years. The compensation will reach the person before the bill payment date. And I want to give a concrete example. For the month of November, the bill for the two largest suppliers – of gas and thermal energy – comes at the end of the month. The bill payment date is 20 for gas and 30-31 for thermal energy. The compensation will be received at least one week before the payment date, between 10 and 15. The person will have time to receive this money," said the official.
The draft law is to be given a second reading by Parliament.
