Gas prices rise amid Middle East tensions; Energocom seeks a tariff of about 21 lei
Household natural gas bills may rise by more than six lei per cubic meter due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, which is affecting international purchase prices. In light of this situation, S.A. "Energocom" submitted a request for a regulated price adjustment to the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) on July 15.
Therefore, if ANRE approves the supplier's request, the new tariff for end consumers could be 20.93 lei per cubic meter (including VAT), compared to the current 14.42 lei, representing an increase of 6 lei and 51 bani.
Energocom justifies its decision by the fact that, when approving the current prices, an average purchase price of 404.24 euros per thousand cubic meters was taken into account.
However, geopolitical developments in the Middle East and the amplification of security tensions at the regional level have determined the increase in trading quotations, significantly changing market conditions.
If, in the period January–July 2026, the average procurement cost was about 423.28 euros per thousand cubic meters, then for the months of August–December 2026, experts estimate a price of 623.54 euros per thousand cubic meters for the same volume.
Energocom representatives state that during the period January–July 2026, the costs necessary to provide the regulated service exceeded the actual revenues, resulting in a tariff deficit estimated at approximately 106.8 million lei.
Consequently, the proposed adjustment aims exclusively to cover justified costs and avoid the accumulation of additional tariff deviations.
If international prices decrease and create premises for cheaper prices, the company will immediately request ANRE to revise the tariffs downwards, in accordance with the applicable methodology.
The state-owned supplier recently announced that, starting with the June invoices, to be issued in the first part of August, the billing and service processes for end consumers will be fully managed directly by the company.
Energocom has developed its own operational and technological capabilities, including information systems and specialized teams. The new stage will allow for the optimization of operational expenses and the consolidation of the supplier's internal capabilities.
The context of price increases also affects other public utilities in the capital. At the beginning of the month, the Municipal Enterprise "Apa-Canal Chisinau" requested an increase in the tariff for drinking water up to 15.55 lei per cubic meter, while ANRE's preliminary calculations indicate a tariff of 13.99 lei.
For sewage services, the municipal supplier is requesting an increase from 5.63 lei to 7.68 lei, whereas the Agency's calculations indicate 7.40 lei.
If ANRE approves its own calculations, household consumers in Chisinau would pay a total tariff of 21.39 lei/m³ for water and sewage services (compared to 18.62 lei/m³ currently), which represents an increase of 2.77 lei.
