Gas distributors recorded an increased number of connection request soon after a new regulation adopted by the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) granted the right to free connection of residential consumers within a radius of 2 kilometers from existing networks.
According to Romanian media, local gas distribution companies are unable to handle, neither financially nor operationally, the large number of connection requests filed by households.
Previously, residential customers had to cover the connection costs, hire their own contractor and then recover these costs from the gas distributor within five years. Under the new regulations, all end-users will share the costs of new network connections. This move has been met with criticism from the consumers already connected to the gas network, who previously paid high prices for their connection.
The new regulation is part of the Government’s plan to increase the gasification ratio in Romania, ahead of the increase in the domestic gas production once the offshore perimeters enter the production stage.
