A possible revision of the block tariffs for electricity introduced during the energy crisis in 2022, in order for them to adapt to new market conditions and the growth of renewable sources, said the president of the Regulatory Commission for Energy, Water Services and Municipal Waste Management Services (ERC), Aco Ristov, in an interview with MIA.
Ristov explains that the basic idea is for citizens to pay lower bills, through a new alignment of the tariff system with the actual production of electricity, especially from the sun and wind. According to him, the current model no longer reflects the situation on the market, where in certain daily periods there is a surplus of electricity and low, or even zero, stock exchange prices.
The ERC analyses consider expanding the cheap tariff during daytime hours, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., when there is the greatest surplus of electricity from photovoltaics. Additionally, the possibility of having cheap electricity on Saturdays is being considered, in addition to the already existing weekly cheap tariff.
Ristov points out that the possibility of adjusting the night cheap tariff is also being analyzed, since it is in the evening hours (9–11 p.m.) that the price of electricity on the exchanges is highest, which creates illogicalities in the existing system.
According to the plan, the initial analyses would be ready by the end of September, while any new block tariffs could come into force on January 1, 2027. The final decision will depend on mathematical models and consultations with all stakeholders, including the state, producers and operators in the system.
Ristov notes that the goal is not to protect producers, but to create a system that will bring direct benefits to citizens, through more affordable and more efficient consumption of electricity in conditions of growth in renewable sources.
