WATER RATES IN SOFIA WILL GO UP BY 18% AS OF APRIL 1

In a closed sitting on 30th of March, Bulgaria’s Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) adopted a decision that the price of water in Sofia would go up by 18% as of 1st of April.

According to the chairperson of the regulator, Ivan Ivanov, the price increase is too high and he himself voted against it. Such a price hike, in his words, allows an excessively high profit for the water concessionaire – namely, a rate of return of 18%. He said that the increase in the prices of water, heating, natural gas and electricity would be unbearable for the poor people.

With this latest change, EWRC agrees with the proposal of the concessionaire in Sofia – Sofiyska Voda (Sofia Water). According to EWRC’s estimates, the socially bearable price of the water would be 4,10 BGN per cubic metre.

EWRC also discussed the increase in the price of electricity by 1% across the country as of 1st of April.

The price of heating and hot water in Sofia will go up by almost 23% as of the same date.