The bills paid by the final consumers to the gas utility Chisinau-Gaz in the last three years could have been lower by nearly 9 million lei, according to the findings of the National Agency for Energy Regulation presented at a news conference on Friday. The findings are the result of an audit performed by the Agency for the purpose of examining the relation between the rates charged on the final consumers and the real expenses of the gas utility Chisinau-Gaz and the heat and hot water utility Termocom. According to ANRE director Victor Parlicov, the 9 million lei surplus resulted from inflated depreciation estimates (5 million lei) and swollen rates (3.9 million lei) “We think that the amount of 9 million lei, or 0.2% of the total, was included unduly in the bills in the period 2007-2009 and unless the utility brings forth consistent arguments, this amount will be subtracted from the rate when a new price adjustment occurs”, said Parlicov. Parlicov also said that the company's net profit of 12.3 million lei could have been managed more wisely. Furthermore, the utility lost incomes of 2 million lei because of intermediaries included in marketing schemes. Alexandr Gusev, the president of the national gas operator Moldovagaz, which incorporates Chisinau-Gaz among others, said this deviation of 0.2%, or 0.1% according to an internal audit, is insignificant and unavoidable, since the rates are not established for each separate utility, but for all twelve utilities that form the corporation. He also recalled that, according to the law, subtractions upon price adjustments were only possible when deviations exceeded 5%, warning the watchdog agency with legal action if it carried out the subtraction. Concerning Termocom, Parlicov said the bills in the period 2008-2009 were by 10 million lei larger, amounting to a deviation of 0.9%. However, this deviation was taken into consideration when the Agency adjusted the heat rate last time. Victor Parlicov announced that by the and of the year similar audits would be carried out at other utilities of the Moldovagaz family and at Transgaz.