The Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) has stressed it will not allow unjustified increases in electricity and heat energy prices. In a statement on April 2, the regulator said that a balanced and conservative approach will be applied to shield consumers from sharp price hikes.
The Commission said it would fulfil its regulatory role and ensure fair service prices, which is its legal obligation.
“Key factors for the regulator in price-setting are, on the one hand, objectively proven economic parameters and, on the other, ensuring affordability for consumers — that is, their ability to pay. When service prices are unaffordable, this is not in the interest of the companies themselves, as they fall into financial difficulty and will not be able to operate. For this reason, energy companies should make the necessary efforts to optimise their costs and thus improve their efficiency and market presence,” the EWRC added.
The Commission has also published proposals submitted by companies in the electricity and district heating sectors for the regulatory period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
It noted that, after receiving all pricing proposals, it will begin analysing each one before preparing reports. In these, the regulator will set out its own pricing proposals based on objective economic factors and the highest levels of efficiency by the companies.
To ensure transparency, the EWRC’s proposals will be discussed at open meetings and public hearings with all stakeholders in early June, with final decisions to be taken on 1 July.
Earlier today, the Ombudsman’s office expressed firm opposition to a proposed near-30% increase in heating prices by Sofia District Heating.
“A rise of this scale is unaffordable for thousands of households already under serious financial pressure,” Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva wrote to the chair of the EWRC, Plamen Mladenovski.
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