Liberalisation of household electricity market postponed

The planned liberalisation of the electricity market for household consumers on 1 July this year will not take place, MPs decided at the first reading of amendments to the Energy Act. Before the final adoption of the texts, a working group will determine by how many years the liberalisation should be postponed.

According to Dragomir Stoynev, leader of the BSP-United Left parliamentary group, lifting regulated prices would lead to serious social problems and the risk of a sharp rise in prices. The Left proposes a two-year delay, while There Is Such a People suggests five years. The longest proposed period - ten years, as stated in Vazrazhdane's bill - was rejected in plenary.

Radoslav Ribarski of We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria expressed concern that nothing was being done "in terms of a compensatory mechanism to protect energy-poor households".

"Retail liberalisation is being postponed; wholesale liberalisation will most likely take place from 1 July 2025," he added.