Over 15,000 customers of the electricity distribution companies have filed signals for unusually high electricity bills. This was stated by the acting Minister of Energy Traycho Traykov to bTV.
According to him, the first task of the acting management was to begin a full check of all possible reasons for the expensive invoices.
„For me, the most important thing was to carry out the necessary check in all possible ways“, said Traykov.
He explained that so far it has been established that in the vast majority of cases the electricity meter readings correspond to the issued invoices. However, this does not put an end to the doubts.
“After comparing whether the readings match the invoice and it turns out that yes, they do, then we start to suspect the electricity meters“, said the minister.
That is why the regulator has dismantled about 130 electricity meters, selected at random. They are being checked technically and software-wise in an independent laboratory. Traykov said that he expects the results of these checks at the beginning of next week.
If they do not show any deviations, the version will remain that the higher bills are the result of higher consumption and colder weather.
“But before we have the right in the name of all the people who are worried about their bills, we must exhaust all possible options“, he said.
The acting Minister of Energy called on the manager of “Lukoil“ Rumen Spetsov to fulfill his duties in this way that in addition to the rights of shareholders, he should also think about the rights of Bulgarian consumers.
Traykov commented on the surge in oil prices as a result of the US and Israeli strikes against Iran, which led to the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil and 25% of the world's liquefied natural gas pass. The war immediately affected prices and at gas stations they jumped by 6%, which corresponds to approximately 20% of the increase in the price of crude oil, Traykov explained.
He noted that we mainly consume gasoline produced in our country.
„90% of consumption comes from our refinery in Burgas, which is managed by the state in the person of Spetsov. I would call on him, without talking about violating the rights of the shareholder, to fulfill his obligations in such a way that he also thinks about the rights of the Bulgarian consumer“, he said the minister.
He said that he had already spoken to Spetsov on the issue.
“In my opinion, it should be possible, because pricing is in the hands of the refinery. The responsible manager of the refinery can protect the rights of shareholders, but without making excessive profits at the expense of consumers“, added Traykov.
With regard to natural gas, Traykov described the situation as tense, but not critical for Bulgaria.
According to him, “Bulgargaz“ should slow down the injection of new quantities into the “Chiren“ gas storage facility, since the country currently has a relatively good occupancy rate.
“We have 42%, which is a normal percentage for the end of winter“, he said.
The minister emphasized that Bulgaria also has another important advantage — the long-term contract with Azerbaijan.
„This contract is long-term, with constant pipeline supplies and is at a price that is based on a different formula and does not reflect the sharp fluctuations of the spot market“, said Traykov.
According to him, if the available quantity in „Chiren“ is added to Azerbaijani supplies, the country can go about three months without significant price changes, even without additional supplies of liquefied natural gas.
At the same time, he admitted that the global LNG market is under serious pressure, because Qatar produces about 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz immediately affects the market.
Traykov was also critical of the contract with the Turkish company „Botaş“. According to him, the initial idea was good, since Bulgaria needed access to Turkish capacity, but in the end the terms turned out to be extremely unprofitable.
“Then they somehow got in a hurry and agreed in a way that makes it absolutely meaningless in terms of price“, said the minister.
He recalled that under the contract Bulgaria pays about 500 thousand dollars per day, regardless of whether it uses the capacity or not.
However, according to him, there is a chance for renegotiation. He said that he had talked about the topic with the Turkish deputy minister and was left with the impression that the Turkish side also understands how difficult the situation is for Bulgaria.
“I see opportunities to propose an option that will ultimately benefit both sides“, said the minister.
At the end of the conversation, Traykov also commented on the topic of the formula used to calculate the building installation in heating bills.
He admitted that the ministry has been slow on the issue and that the court has rightly overturned the previous formula, since it was complicated and not always fair enough.
“I am also unhappy that the ministry has been slow“, said Traykov.
According to him, the problem is that if the percentage for building installation is too low, it harms people who have turned off the heating, and if it is too high, it harms those who use it.
Therefore, he proposes to introduce a relatively low percentage by default, if the condominium has not made a different decision.
“My proposal would be, unless people decide otherwise, to apply a relatively low percentage that corresponds to average normal consumption“, said the minister.
According to him, this is a level of “20 and a few percent“, and the issue should be resolved by the end of April.