Between July and December 2024, natural gas prices for non-household consumers in Bulgaria, including all taxes, fees, and VAT, saw a slight increase across all consumption categories compared to the first half of the year. The most significant rise, 3%, was recorded in the category with annual consumption between 10,000 GJ and 100,000 GJ.
During the same period, household consumers also faced price hikes. The highest increase, 6.2%, was observed among the smallest consumers, those using up to 20 GJ annually.
Despite these increases, natural gas prices for non-household consumers were over 20% lower in 2024 compared to the previous year. The most substantial drop, 23.1%, occurred in the category consuming between 100,000 GJ and 1,000,000 GJ annually. Similarly, household consumers saw an average price reduction of more than 19% in 2024, with the biggest decrease, 21.1%, recorded in the highest consumption category (over 200 GJ annually). The group consuming between 20 GJ and 200 GJ per year, which represents the majority of households, experienced a 19.8% reduction.
The main factor behind these annual price reductions was a roughly 30% drop in wholesale natural gas prices, which significantly impacted the “energy and supply” component, accounting for about 60% of the final consumer price. Additionally, a 20% decrease in transmission and access fees, including capacity charges on the gas transmission network, further contributed to the overall price decline.
