Heating with Fixed Price during Heating Season

Снимка: utilities.bg Head of the SCEWR Anguel Semerdzhiev proposes heating energy price to remain fixed October to April, despite gas prices are set quarterly

Central heating price will not up this winter. Heat distribution companies will correct heating energy prices at 6 months, instead of at 3, as currently. This became clear during a public discussion over the new gas prices order drafted by the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (SCEWR). The aim of the amendments is to avoid heating price changes during the active heating season. Now heating companies correct them according to gas price changes, which are approved each three months. Companies insist on fixed fuel price during the season so that they could pay out on time their debts to the central supplier. During its negotiations with Russia’s Gasprom Bulgargas will demand a principle to be set out in the new gas supply agreements according to which prices would not change October till April, Executive Director of the company Dimitar Gogov explained journalists. He elaborated there was no way for commenting on changes to the currently active gas supply agreements expiring in 2011, but only on a single price change during the heating season. Bulgargas’ head insisted the regulator to approve of the proposed by all companies gas price increase by 18% as of start-January, pointing out the company would be unable to work with much lower prices that those mentioned. A week ago head of the regulator Anguel Semerdahiev stated SCEWR would most likely allow the state company to up prices, but would do its best this would not be at the expense of heating energy prices.