Moldovan citizens to benefit from compensations for electric energy

Chisinau, 3 January /MOLDPRES/ - The government will provide the citizens with compensations for the payment of the electric energy invoices, so that they do not feel the tariff increases. Labour and Social Protection Minister Alexei Buzu today made statements to this effect, after the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) had approved new tariffs for electricity. The official said that the cabinet’s commitment was for the citizens not to pay a tariff for energy higher than the one from the last year.        

Thus, starting from January, also the consumption of electric energy which is not meant for the household’s heating will be compensated by the government within the limit of 110 kW per household. The households who have registered in the Assistance at Meter system and already receive compensations for heating will be able to enjoy this support.    

„The increase in the tariff approved by ANRE will be covered by compensations by the government for all beneficiaries of compensations, at a monthly consumption of 110 kW for the period January-March 2025. Thus, a household which already benefits from compensations in this cold season, which will consume up to 110 kW per month, will not feel these increases of tariff, as they will be compensated by the government,’’ Alexei Buzu said.      

The minister explained why namely the figure of 110 kW had been established. ‘’We examined the consumption of the households on the period January-March 2024. The average monthly consumption for these households was of 138 kW per month. Given that everybody should make effort, we should be united and consume the energy as efficiently as possible, the government took the decision to compensate 80 per cent of the average consumption for this period. So, we will compensate 110 kW of consumption per month. Our experience from 2022-2023 showed that this is possible. When you make an effort, we have a much more rational consumption; it is possible to cut the consumption by 20 per cent,’’ the minister stressed.         

Alexei Buzu also said that ‘’these tariff increases are due exclusively to the Kremlin’s blackmail through Gazprom against Moldova’s citizens; yet, this time too, the government will undertake actions, in order to protect the most vulnerable households and families from Moldova.’’    

For last December, the budget for compensations for energy will be of a half a billion lei and about 680,000 households, where 1 million 380,000 people live,  will benefit from support. ‘’Just as I said in the beginning of this cold season, the basic commitment of the government, through which the citizens who benefit from compensation will not pay a post-compensation price higher than last year, will be implemented. Each time when we work on the value of the compensation, when we analyze the tariff increases, we make sure that this occurs in practice,’’ Alexei Buzu said.   

ANRE today approved the new tariffs for the electric energy delivered to the end consumers. Thus, the consumers served by Premier Energy will pay a tariff of 4.1 lei for one kWh and a price of 4.68 lei for one kWh was approved for the citizens from north Moldova, served by FEE Nord enterprise (North Electric Energy Supply).    

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Dorin Recean demanded the preparation of additional measures for backing the citizens and business environment, if ANRE approves new tariffs for electric energy.

The Russian giant Gazprom suspended the delivery of natural gas to Moldovagaz starting from 1 January 2025. Respectively, the Kuchurgan power station (MGRES) no longer supplies electric energy to the right bank of Dniester.

In these conditions, the Moldovan authorities said that, in January 2025, the needed quantity of consumption of electric energy of Moldova (right bank of Dniester) will be supplied with local production and with imports from Romania. Thus, according to forecasts, the heating stations from Chisinau and Balti will provide about 28 per cent of the consumption. Another about 10 per cent is to represent the renewable energy. The rest of 62 per cent of the needs of electric energy will be imported from Romania.   

Moldova has been in an emergency state since 16 December 2024, given a potential humanitarian crisis in the Transnistrian region, because of the non-observance by Russia of the contract on the delivery of natural gas to the consumers from the left bank of Dniester.