Moldovagaz is formulating a request to decrease the gas charge addressed to the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE). Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov said that a decision on the issue could be taken in February as the Agency’s procedure for reviewing charges will take more time now, unlike the period when the country was in a state of emergency and charges were changed quickly, IPN reports.
The official noted that as the purchase price of gas is lower, there are preconditions for reducing the gas charge for consumers. Moldovagaz is already preparing a request in this regard to the regulator, which will decide whether to review the charge down or not.
“Moldovagaz is preparing the request to reduce the charge. I believe that this will happen the coming weeks. But we have to be careful. Yes, prices at the moment are good and we will buy gas at these prices, but no one can guarantee that the situation in the fourth quarter will not be different. The charge depends on the developments in the first quarter and the fourth quarter as consumption is essential then. Respectively, there is still time until the fourth quarter. So, the forecast must be balanced. We cannot bank on the fact that we will have gas at the price of US $300 throughout the year. Moldovagaz will come up with a request to reduce charges and I think ANRE will examine it. Another thing is that, unlike the situation when we were in a state of emergency, ANRE will have to comply with all public hearing procedures. ANRE can no longer skip certain stages. Therefore, this process will not take place in two-three days, as earlier. I think that a decision will be taken in February,” Victor Parlicov stated in the program “Secrets of the Power” on JurnalTV channel.
The minister noted that Moldovagaz does not yet know the price of gas offered by Gazprom for January. The whole volume of gas provided by the Russian company is supplied to the Transnistrian region. In exchange, the right bank of the Nistru benefits from preferential prices for the electricity produced at the Kuchurgan power station.
“Gazprom has now limited the volumes of gas delivered to Moldova to 5.7 million cubic meters. If we want to have better energy prices, there is no point in taking this gas to the right bank and consuming it. At the price offered by Gazprom, it is more convenient to supply this gas to the left bank of the Nistru and to have electricity at better prices. The price for January must be confirmed with Gazprom because it hasn’t been confirmed so far,” said the official.
Currently, the gas charge for consumers is 18.07 lei per cubic meter. According to the Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu, about 770,000 households registered on the government platform www.compensații.gov.md to benefit from compensation for energy costs during the cold period of the year.
