Discussions with operators on the repeal of the gas price cap started as early as September, in order to have more scenarios and not to have an increase in prices after March 31, and bar very unlikely events that would disrupt the market, the scenario in which we have a gradual reduction of this cap should be taken into account, Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan said on Thursday at the end of a meeting of the National Energy Command.
"Discussions started with operators as early as September, in order to have different working scenarios. At the moment, based on the predictions we have, we will not have a price increase after March 31, 2026. What is very important, for example, even now there are operators supplying natural gas below the price capped by the law, today, given that we have enough production. Further, if we are talking about plan B, in which very unlikely events occur to disrupt the market, we consider a scenario in which we have a gradual reduction of this cap. That is, not to have, as in the case of electricity, when the prices for the final consumer have suddenly doubled on July 1... In the case of gas, we also take this scenario into account. The baseline scenario is where, together with the market operators, we make sure that we do not have any disruption and that we will continue to have a healthy price on the market, below the price capped today. Given that we have domestic production, as we start exploiting Neptun Deep from 2027, we have the prediction to ensure that next winter we will not have disturbances and rising prices," said Ivan.
He added that work is still being done on this second mechanism and it could be, for example, a gradual reduction of 8-10% throughout April 2027.
"The second scenario, now we are also working on this mechanism, which should last about a year, because we are very interested in the cold season, because then there is a peak of consumption at national level and especially in the area of household consumers, and we calculate. There can be a reduction, for example, of 10% gradually, 8-10% every month throughout April 2027, for the entire market. I repeat, I believe very much in fair market solutions and natural and healthy solutions in which the state intervenes, but intervenes up to a point, because I am interested in the final consumer. But, given that we have very serious companies, companies listed on the stock exchange, although the Romanian government is their majority shareholder, they respond to market requirements and criteria. What we do, together with all the operators, is to seek sound mechanisms to keep prices low, without a brutal intervention of the state in the market. And now, to say explicitly, there are offers for natural gas below the capped price."
Until March 31, 2026, the final price invoiced by natural gas suppliers is a maximum of 0.31 lei/kWh, VAT included, in the case of household customers, and a maximum of 0.37 lei/kWh, VAT included, in the case of non-household customers whose annual natural gas consumption in the previous year at the place of consumption is no more than 50,000 MWh, as well as in the case of heat producers and non-household customers in industrial parks as well as those within closed distribution systems.
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