site.btaRegulator Suggests Natural Gas Price to Rise by 2.6% as against Bulgargaz's 4.82%

Sofia, March 26 (BTA) - The Energy and Water Regulatory Commission Monday discussed a report on Bulgargaz's proposal for natural gas prices in the second quarter. Those are the prices at which the public provider sells natural gas to end suppliers and customers linked to the gas transmission network.

The report drawn up by a working group suggests a gas price of 361.82 leva per 1,000 cubic metres or 34.04 leva/MWh (exclusive of excise duty and VAT). This is 2.6 per cent more than the price in the first quarter.

For its part, Bulgargaz has asked for a 4.82 per cent price hike. The regulator arrived at the lower figure by making a negative adjustment of 5,284,583 leva to offset the difference between Bulgargaz's projected and reported expenditures on gas supply to the entry of the transmission network last year.

The public provider objected to the working group's proposal for the second quarter, arguing that the company would sustain losses.

The participants in Monday's meeting have until March 27 to submit written opinions on the report of the working group. The final decision will be made at a closed-door meeting on March 30.

Heat energy prices will remain unchanged until the end of the quarter. The price of electricity produced from natural gas by high efficiency co-generation of power and heat will also remain unchanged.