Bulgaria and the entire region suffer from a chronic deficit of baseload electricity, which leads to high and unstable electricity prices. This was stated in the program "Events and Personalities" on Radio Blagoevgrad by Elenko Bozhkov, an energy expert and former Deputy Minister of Energy.
According to him, the deficit is between 1,000 and 2,000 megawatts, which forces countries in the region to import electricity at high prices. At peak times, prices in our country reached over 250 euros per megawatt-hour, Bozhkov pointed out. As a key solution in the expert program "Energy Plus" he highlighted the preservation of coal-fired power plants, including the "Bobov Dol" TPP, which ensure stability and security of the electricity system.
Among the proposals is the transformation of the Bulgarian Energy Holding into an operational holding and its listing on the stock exchange in order to increase transparency and limit corruption practices. Experts also propose the introduction of tiered electricity tariffs, in which households with lower consumption will pay a lower price, and large consumers - more. Thus, according to Bozhkov, a fairer distribution can be achieved and energy poverty can be reduced.
Unusually high electricity bills have caused a wave of dissatisfaction among consumers in recent days. The state has responded with inspections, but the main question remains - what are the real reasons and are there any violations. Dr. Ivan Hinovski from the Bulgarian Energy and Mining Forum commented on the topic to NOVA.
According to him, the main reason for the high bills is the longer reporting period. “We are talking about bills for more than 45 days, instead of the standard 30“, explained Hinovski. He specified that the collectors had started the reports earlier due to the preparation for currency conversion and expected administrative difficulties surrounding the transition to the euro. This, combined with higher consumption during the Christmas holidays, leads to larger amounts in the invoices, according to the expert.
Hinovski did not rule out the possibility of technical or software errors during the currency conversion, although he described them as less likely. “KEVR will conduct detailed checks and analyze each invoice“, he emphasized. According to him, there is no evidence of manipulated electricity meters so far, but rather of administrative and reporting peculiarities.
The energy expert was categorical that consumers should actively seek their rights. Complaints should first be filed at the customer centers of the electricity distribution companies, with invoices attached to them. "It is checked whether the readings have been correctly reported and whether the 30-day period has been observed. A longer reporting period should not be allowed", said Hinovski.
The expert predicts that inspections will establish violations, but the main conclusion will be related to higher consumption accumulated in a longer reporting period. According to him, the case once again puts on the agenda the unresolved problem of the energy poor, for whose assistance there is still a lack of political will.