The Bulgarian Parliament has adopted a decision on keeping residential electricity consumers on the regulated market until 31 December 2025. The motion was submitted by GERB-UDF.
The decision tasks the Council of Ministers to undertake the necessary steps to ensure that the full liberalization of the electricity market for residential consumers will take place on 1 January 2026.
Zhecho Stankov from the GERB-UDF coalition said that the aim is to postpone as much as possible the deadline and in the meantime, find solutions. First and foremost, a definition of energy poverty needs to be formulated, to determine the groups to which energy efficiency measures will be targeted.
Ramadan Atalay, MP of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, took a similar stand, saying that the system is not ready whereby household consumers could leave the regulated market because at least the energy poor households should have been determined.
Radoslav Ribarski from Continue the Change said that the resolution reconfirms the policy for gradual transition to the free power market of end consumers of electricity, adding that the liberalization should open the market for more participants and foster a competitive environment. Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) also supported the decision.
On the other hand, Vazrazhdane party said that it does not accept the motion as it only postpones something that is inevitable, adding that it will submit a draft motion to cancel altogether the plans for household consumers going on the free market.
