Romania's energy regulator: electricity prices for end consumers should go down

The electricity price paid by the end consumers could go down by 3-5% starting January 1, 2016, according to Niculae Havrilet, the president of Romania’s energy regulator ANRE. “This year we have had a few positive elements in the electricity supply and distribution sector, as the electricity consumption went up and the inflation rate evolution was favorable. These two factors combined will definitely bring a positive input in establishing the electricity price for the end consumers. We estimate that this price will go down by a few percentage points,” Havrilet explained, cited by Profit.ro. The 3-5% electricity price cut doesn’t also target the green certificates or the cogeneration bonus, so the impact on the electricity bills will be somewhat lower. ANRE has the authority to set the electricity transport and distribution prices, but the price for the end consumers is set by the suppliers. “Any cut in the transport and distribution tariffs, which ANRE has the right to decide, doesn’t necessarily mean that the bill for the end consumer will be lower,” said Silvia Vlasceanu, general manager of the Energy Utilities Companies Association (ACUE). editor@romania-insider.com