Moldovan energy regulatory agency rules to maintain new tariffs for electric energy at level approved in last July

Chisinau, 6 November /MOLDPRES/ - The Administrative Board of the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) considers that there are no grounds for revising its decisions from 17-18 July 2015 on the approval of tariffs for the distribution and supply of electric energy and the tariff for the electricity transportation service.  

ANRE today ruled to maintain the new tariffs at the level approved in last July, after the completion of public discussions on external audit reports on the calculation of the new rates for electric energy. The decision to suspend the 17-18 July 2015 rulings for a 60-day period, and then for one more week, "was taken also at insistent requests by non-governmental organisations, political formations and experts in the energy sector, companies from the electric energy and gas fields." 

The suppliers of electric energy carried out an external audit on the correctness of the calculation of the new tariffs and the compliance of the calculation way with the provisions of the tariff methodologies. The audit was carried out by world famous companies. The auditors found out that "the expenses for purchasing electric energy, which have rapidly increased in the wake of a considerable depreciation of the Moldovan leu's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar, were included in the adjusted tariffs at a level of more than 95 per cent."

The audit reports also say that ANRE did not include in the new tariffs for electricity the tariff deviations recorded in the previous years following a 1.6-fold depreciation of the Moldovan leu against the dollar. These deviations exceeded 1.3 billion lei in the case of the RED Union Fenosa company.

ANRE says it will identify an optimum formula of gradual recovery of the tariff deviations recorded by electricity suppliers in the years before, with the formula due to have an as small as possible impact on consumers. 

The tariffs approved by ANRE in last July will enter into force on 9 December 2015. The electric energy rates were increased by 30-37 per cent on 18 July, this year. The household consumers connected to the high-tension networks served by Gas Natural Fenosa Furnizare Energie (Gas Natural Fenosa Energy Supply) will pay a tariff of 2.16 lei for one KW/hour, the consumers served by RED Nord joint stock company - 2.23 lei and by RED Nord-Vest - 2.33 lei for one KW/hour.  

Experts' estimations show that, after the electric energy rates are increased, each family will monthly pay by 300-400 lei more than at present. The government informed that it would consider possibility to provide financial aid to socially vulnerable families. 

(Editor L. Alcaza)