Approved by Parliament: The state will grant financial support of over 1.1 billion lei in this heating season
The state will provide financial support of over 1.1 billion lei to citizens during the cold season. Low-income individuals will benefit from monetary energy compensation in the 2024–2025 cold season. The Parliament has adopted the draft law on the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund in its second reading, with the vote of 71 deputies. More than 1.1 billion lei will be allocated from the budget to implement these new measures.
Unlike previous years when compensation was included in bills, this support will now be given as cash payments, and this will facilitate the process for beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the administration of the compensation system has been streamlined to reduce the burden on energy suppliers. Previously, energy suppliers managed the calculation and distribution of compensation, but now the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection will take full responsibility for establishing and calculating these compensations.
The Government will set the calculation method for the compensation amount for vulnerable consumers based on the criteria and information from the "Energy Vulnerability" Information System. Payments will be made through the government electronic payment service MPay via selected payment service providers. If beneficiaries do not collect the compensation by June 30, the payment will be discontinued.
The draft law also includes provisions for verifying the accuracy of information provided by applicants. In this regard, the Ministry and local social assistance agencies will conduct social surveys and home visits to confirm the validity of the submitted information.
These legislative changes will take effect on the date of publication in the Official Gazette. Subsequently, within three months, the Government will align normative acts with the adopted provisions.
