---
title: "Moldova hikes gas and heating tariffs ahead of winter"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/86370/moldova-hikes-gas-and-heating-tariffs-ahead-of-winter
published: 2026-09-28T14:00:00Z
language: en
author: "Ana Cebotari"
section: "Social"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Moldova hikes gas and heating tariffs ahead of winter

> Moldova's energy regulator approved sharp increases in household natural gas and district heating tariffs on Monday, September 28, ramping up financial pressure on domestic budgets just weeks before the heating season begins.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/f5812ffa-9388-4055-adce-7aad2fb80ede.jpg)

Moldova's energy regulator approved sharp increases in household natural gas and district heating tariffs on Monday, September 28, ramping up financial pressure on domestic budgets just weeks before the heating season begins.

Effective October 1, residential gas prices will rise to €1.29 (approx. 26.14 MDL) per cubic meter including VAT, up from the current 18.79 MDL base rate. The National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) also raised heating rates in Chisinau to 3,277 MDL per gigacalorie and in Balti to 3,374 MDL per gigacalorie, representing price increases of roughly 60% and 50% respectively.

**Erosion of household purchasing power**

Economic analyst Marin Gospodarenco warned that utility costs are vastly outpacing household earnings, triggering severe declines in domestic purchasing power. Over the past twelve months, natural gas prices have surged 56%, while real wages increased by only 2-3% and pensions were indexed by approximately 7%.

*“The gap between soaring utility bills and modest income growth can only be absorbed by family budgets,”* Gospodarenco said on public broadcaster Radio Moldova. *“Households typically delay non-essential spending such as clothing, home maintenance, and appliances, but vulnerable pensioners face direct cuts to food and essential medication.”*

To mitigate winter heating shocks, Gospodarenco urged households to verify meter readings and set aside funds well before peak January and February billing cycles. Consumers are also advised to prepare homes through weatherization and apply for government-backed heating subsidies.

**Commercial spillover and economic headwinds**

Higher commercial energy inputs will inevitably cascade into broader consumer inflation. While businesses usually delay retail price revisions by one or two months to protect client bases, cost pressures are poised to spread across greenhouse agriculture, dairy processing, public transit, and medical services.

*“Energy represents a key operating cost for virtually every business, from bakeries to barbershops,”* Gospodarenco noted. *“When families funnel larger shares of income into utilities, foot traffic in retail and hospitality drops, leaving firms with diminished sales, elevated input costs, and costlier credit.”*

The regulator additionally adjusted electricity rates for combined heat and power plants, establishing wholesale cogeneration tariffs of 4.62 MDL per kilowatt-hour for Termoelectrica in Chisinau and 5.07 MDL per kilowatt-hour for CET-Nord in Balti.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

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