A working group, composed of representatives from the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy and business leaders, is set to propose an automatic compensation mechanism to assist non-residential consumers impacted by high electricity prices.
This announcement came after a meeting between Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov and the Association of Bulgarian Employers’ Organizations, where they discussed strategies to enhance business resilience and improve predictability in the energy market. Minister Stankov outlined that the compensation mechanism is part of the Ministry’s long-term plan to ensure businesses can access electricity at affordable rates, helping them maintain their competitiveness.
The compensation system will include both long-term and temporary measures. Long-term compensations will target key economic sectors, while temporary support will be available to all businesses in the event of sudden price hikes. Minister Stankov also assured that the government will implement a broad range of measures to stabilize electricity prices. These include strategic projects to build two pumped-storage hydropower plants at the Batak and Dospat reservoirs in the Rhodope Mountains and upgrading the national electricity transmission system.
Additionally, both the Energy Ministry and business leaders agreed that setting upper and lower price limits for electricity for non-residential consumers would be beneficial. Under this proposed system, if prices fall below the lower limit, businesses will contribute to the Electricity System Security Fund (ESSF), while electricity producers will receive compensation. Conversely, if prices rise above the upper limit, electricity producers would contribute to the fund, and non-residential consumers would receive compensation.
