Energocom seeks 75% electricity price hike; Bills may rise by 15–20%
Electricity bills could rise for consumers in the Republic of Moldova. Energocom has requested an increase in the regulated price at which it supplies electricity, a change that could also affect the tariffs paid by households. According to an economic estimate, prices could increase by 15–20% if the request is approved.
Energocom seeks a nearly 75% price increase
In a request submitted to the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) and published on October 23, Energocom seeks approval for a regulated electricity price of 3.51 lei/kWh for electricity supplied in its capacity as the central electricity supplier.
The previously established price for this activity was 2.01 lei/kWh, excluding VAT, effective April 1, 2026. Energocom is therefore requesting an increase of 1.50 lei/kWh, equivalent to approximately 74.6%.
The request does not directly target the tariffs households pay, but it could affect the costs of electricity suppliers Premier Energy and FEE Nord, which purchase a large share of their electricity from Energocom.
“Energocom is the central supplier, meaning it purchases all the electricity covered by support mechanisms, such as certain renewable energy sources and combined heat and power plants. Energocom also purchases electricity from abroad to cover deficits. It then sells this electricity to suppliers—FEE Nord and Premier Energy,” energy expert Eugen Muravschi told Teleradio-Moldova.
Consequently, the expert expects Premier Energy and FEE Nord to raise their tariffs as well if the regulated price increases.
Costs exceeding three billion lei and financial deviations cited by the company
According to documents submitted to ANRE, Energocom estimates it will purchase about 1.11 billion kWh of electricity in 2026, at a total cost of more than 3 billion lei.
The company's calculations are based on actual data for the first nine months of the year and forecasts for October–December.
Based on the costs presented, the initial calculated price is 2.84 lei/kWh. After adjusting for deviations from the previous year, the figure reaches 2.75 lei/kWh.
In its final calculation, the company also includes current financial deviations of approximately 236 million lei, representing the difference between updated revenues and those actually collected during January–September 2026.
Including this component in the calculation formula brings the requested price to 3.51 lei/kWh.
Therefore, Energocom's requested price reflects not only the cost of purchased electricity but also the financial adjustments provided for under the regulatory methodology.
Veaceslav Ioniță: Household electricity bills could rise by 15–20%
Electricity tariffs paid by consumers could increase by approximately 15–20% if ANRE approves Energocom's request. The estimate comes from economist Veaceslav Ioniță, who believes the company's proposed increase could significantly affect household bills.
“This is a substantial increase. We consume around 40% domestically produced electricity. This means an average 30% increase in electricity prices. Electricity accounts for roughly 60% of the total cost, which translates into an increase of about 17% in the tariff for households,” the economist told Teleradio-Moldova.
The impact could reach about 20%, although this estimate covers only the potential effect of Energocom's request and excludes other possible cost increases, the expert noted.
“The impact is at least 15%, but it is closer to 20%. We should point out that this is only Energocom's impact,” Veaceslav Ioniță said.
The economist believes a potential increase in the price of imported electricity, along with higher wages and other operating expenses, could put additional pressure on tariffs.
“Most likely, we are also seeing an increase in the price of electricity imported by the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, distribution companies will say that their costs have risen as well, including wages and other expenses. For this reason, a request to increase household electricity tariffs will amount to at least 20%,” the expert stated.
Energocom's requested increase will not be fully reflected in consumer bills
The difference between Energocom's nearly 75% increase request and the estimated 15–20% impact on households comes from how the final electricity tariff is calculated.
The company's request concerns a regulated price applied to one component of the electricity suppliers purchase, rather than all the costs included in consumers' bills.
In his estimate, Veaceslav Ioniță assumes domestically produced electricity accounts for about 40% of consumption, while electricity costs represent about 60% of the final tariff.
Applying these proportions to Energocom's requested increase yields an estimated impact of about 18%, close to the 15–20% range cited by the economist.
ANRE to review the request; Household tariffs are set separately
ANRE will review Energocom's request, verify the submitted calculations, and assess the justification for the costs.
The regulator is not required to automatically approve the requested price. Following its review, it may set a different rate depending on the costs recognized under the applicable methodology.
Even if the regulated price for Energocom increases, household consumers' tariffs will not change automatically.
To adjust these tariffs, suppliers must submit their own calculations, and ANRE must separately review the costs and adopt the relevant decisions.
Currently, household consumers served by Premier Energy in central and southern Moldova pay 3.56 lei per kWh of electricity.
In the northern part of the country, the tariff is 3.95 lei per kWh.
The most recent adjustment took place on March 31, 2026, when ANRE approved a slight reduction in electricity prices.
