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Domestic electricity consumers should conclude new contracts in the free market, where they find prices lower than what they would pay if they were maintained with the previous contracts, as of January 1, Virgil Popescu, energy minister told AGERPRES.
This is in the context in which, as of January 1, 2021, the electricity market will be completely liberalized, and consumers who stay with the old contracts will pay higher bills with values between 13% and 26%.
Asked what he recommends to consumers under these conditions, the minister replied: “There is a competitive market (free – no), which is cheaper than the universal market (the old regulated market – no) and there is Hidroeléctrica, which has a price lower than January 1. People should look at ANRE’s website, in the price comparison, and choose the best offer, I said about two weeks ago, when Hidroeléctrica announced a 4% reduction in the price of electricity from from January 1, that anyone who is not satisfied with the current supplier can choose a supplier from the competitive market, respectively they can move to Hidroeléctrica, which so far offers the lowest price since January 1. lower than the price of this year and lower than the regulated price that is until December 31 “.
In his opinion, providers are currently speculating on the conservatism of national customers, who are not used to looking for and comparing new offers.
“If you do not opt for the competitive market, automatically the law does not let you run out of electricity and then you go to the universal market, and in the universal market the providers have taken advantage of this aspect and the price is higher than the competitive market. Obviously any domestic consumer has to be interested and look for their supplier with the lowest price ”, explained the ministerial official, recalling, once again, that Hidroeléctrica lowered the price.
He mentioned that ANRE forced suppliers to notify all clients that they have in their portfolio, during the month of December, that they can choose during 2020 for a competitive market supplier or otherwise, they will remain in the universal market with the price that is higher. big.
Suppliers are also required to notify all customers, including January, and if by January 31 a domestic customer opts for the competitive market, regardless of the January day they choose, the full invoice for that January will be calculated. In addition, at any time of the year, consumers can go from the universal market to the competitive market or change providers ”, continued the minister.
Popescu said he is convinced that prices will stabilize in the coming months, as happened after the liberalization of the gas market, which took place on July 1, 2020.
“In my opinion, it is a behavior to the limit of the good faith of the suppliers, now they are trying to maximize their profit, as they tried for gas. I kept saying that prices would be reduced by 10%, they kept saying no, no “No, in the end they are convinced that electricity prices will be adjusted in 2021”, the official stressed.
When asked if he thinks it is okay to advertise Hidroeléctrica, given that it is a free market, Popescu replied: “I don’t advertise, I just tell you … I don’t advertise Hidroeléctrica, not even if Hidroelectrica is a Romanian company, owned by the Romanian state. , It is a green company, I do not advertise at all, I only inform domestic consumers, and I find this on the ANRE website, I inform them that they can move from the current supplier of the Hidroeléctrica supplier, which offers a 4% discount from on January 1. Then there are also providers that are not expensive, but cheap ”.
Popescu also said that, personally, he has a contract with Electrica in the free market, for the supply of electricity and gas in a package, but, in turn, he will look for better offers, as any consumer should. .
“Obviously, I will see in January what the price is in the competitive Electric market and, if this price does not suit me, I will move, obviously,” said the minister.
At the same time, when asked if, in his opinion, there is competition in the electricity market between suppliers, he said: “I think it will be competition. The monopoly of the big three will be broken, because smaller suppliers have entered this market” . and larger gas market suppliers that now also sell electricity, so I think there will be competition in the electricity and gas markets, as evidenced by the fact that the gas market has come at a much lower price than it used to be. one year, I am convinced that in the electricity market competition will also put pressure on the price and the price will fall ”.
The representative of the Ministry of Energy also said that it is not a question of postponing the liberalization of the market, as requested by the Smart Energy Association.
“If we postpone liberalization for six months, in six months we will have exactly the same situation. Should we postpone liberalization to regulate prices? No. We have a case in the European Commission and we have already requested a repeal of the European regulation until 1 January 2021 and “Romania is a state that respects its obligations. I think that in a month, maximum two, prices will adjust and there is a supply in the market, lower than that of existing suppliers, so I see no reason to postpone liberalization. “Popescu specified.
As of January 1, 2021, the electricity market will be completely liberalized, and ANRE will stop setting prices for domestic consumers, these are calculated by the traditional provider and will be called universal service prices.
Consumers either keep the current contracts, at universal service prices, which increase by 13-26%, or they conclude other contracts in the free market.
According to calculations by the Intelligent Energy Association, based on data from the ANRE web price comparator, electricity will be the most expensive for Enel Distributie Banat’s domestic customers, respectively by 26%. It is followed by Enel Distribuţie Muntenia (including the capital), where electricity will increase by 23%, Enel Distribuţie Dobrogea, by 18%, Electrica Transilvania Sud and CEZ Distribuţie, by 17% each.
For Electrica Muntenia Nord customers, the price increases by 15%, for Electrica Transilvania Nord by 14% and for E.ON Distribuţie by 13%.
In the opinion of the Intelligent Energy Association, the fault of the situation is the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), which neither informed consumers that the market was going to be liberalized, nor did it optimally prepare the process from the beginning. point of view of secondary law.
Publisher: VM
