Starting March 1, new tariffs for gas, electricity, heating, water, and sewage will come into effect in the Transnistrian region. In some cases, prices will more than double. The Transnistrian administration justifies these increases by citing changes in the gas procurement scheme, a decline in electricity production, and the need to consider the market value of energy resources, IPN reports.
The executive body of the separatist region argued that the increase in tariffs is due to changes in the gas cost calculation mechanism. The new tariffs take into account purchase and transportation costs, as the raw material is now bought using loans.
New Tariffs for Consumers (Effective March 1):
Electricity: 1.39 rubles/KWh (+157%)
Gas: 1.70 rubles per cubic meter (+109%)
Water: 9.75 rubles per cubic meter (+115%)
Sewage: 10.23 rubles per cubic meter (+163%)
Heating: 730.42 rubles/Gcal (up to +270%, depending on the region)
Consumers are being told that the price hikes are due to recent changes. MGRES (the regional power plant) is now producing three times less electricity, impacting overall costs. Gas is being purchased using credit funds and transported through multiple countries.
For heating services, residents will receive bills with the new tariffs only after the subsidization period ends (when heating was provided at zero cost in January). The cost of irrigation water will also rise by 44.83%, reaching 2.52 rubles per cubic meter.
Economic Difficulties and Gas Supply Uncertainty
At the same time, the region’s budget is facing serious difficulties. Revenues are expected to drop by approximately 40% in February due to the energy crisis and the suspension of industrial enterprises, which have run out of gas. Industrial production in the region has already declined by 56% compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, the region’s gas supply remains uncertain. Currently, gas is being delivered through a Hungarian company under an agreement negotiated with Chisinau, but this deal is only valid until the end of February.
The European Union previously offered a conditional aid package of €60 million to purchase gas for the Transnistrian region. However, the Tiraspol administration refused the offer, while also accusing Chisinau of "strangling" the Transnistrian economy. Meanwhile, Moldova's Bureau for Reintegration Policies has consistently denied these allegations.
The unrecognized Transnistrian administration claims that even after the tariff increases, utility prices remain lower than in Moldova and Russia. However, for residents of the Transnistrian region, these increases will be a significant burden.
