What are the reasons for the high price that Romanians pay for electricity. The Minister of Energy promises a plan by which the rates would reduce by up to 15%
Nearly 400,000 consumers have changed their electricity supplier this year, says Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan. According to him, many of those who opted for the supplier's change have chosen Hidroelectrica as a new supplier, writes news.ro.
“We have over 380,000 people who have changed their electricity supply operator from the beginning of the year, most of them migrating in this direction (Hidroelectrica-no),” Bogdan Ivan said in a show broadcast by Digi 24.
The Minister of Energy stressed that those from Hidroelectrica, “at the moment can still receive” new customers.
Ivan announces projects that wants the producer Hidroelectrica to become a standard regarding the establishment of prices on the energy market in the country.
“We have seven strategic projects in different stages of implementation at Hidroelectrica, to increase the production capacities of this very important company. And to regulate the price, an important mechanism we are working on is to make the hydroelectrica market market, that is the one that gives the reference price, in the market, for the electricity, for this mechanism, adjustment ”, added the minister.
The Minister of Energy promises a plan by which the rates would reduce by up to 15%
The losses in the electricity distribution network, which rise, on average, to 20 percent, the production capacities existing at national level, which do not cover the need for consumption, and market speculations are reasons for the high price that Romanians pay for energy. The Minister of Energy, Bogdan Ivan, promises a plan by which the rates would be reduced by up to 15%, compared to the prices currently practiced, writes news.ro.
The minister admits that in Romania consumers pay for energy even double compared to those in Western European states.
“At the moment, we all know, the last five years in which we had that liberalization, in which the way of calculating the price of energy sold on the OPCOM market relates to the highest price. I will give an example, maybe too rudimentary, but there was the situation. From which of the three traders he buys the tomatoes, he paid 30 lei for them. Maybe even double compared to western Europe.
The minister explained that there are three components that require changes, for the price of energy to be reduced. One of these is related to the production capacities, Ivan promising, in this context, that “the estimates made in a very clear way are that in the next year and a half we will bring 1500 megawatts”, but also admitting it is “still insufficient”.
The second component is related to the losses in the system.
“The losses today on the transport networks, distribution are up to 20%, on average, depending on the geographical area of the consumers. There we calculated together with the operators, we have a need for 9 billion euros to invest in these networks. And three, to adjust the market very transparent and correctly to avoid the situation in which there can be the speculation and to avoid the situation and to avoid the situation Energy, which comes on the market at 400-450 lei megawatt, energy hour, but which is possible to reach the final consumer with 700-800 lei. Somewhere between 5 and 15% in a year and a half we will reduce the final price for energy, ”added Bogdan Ivan.
