Romania is entering this winter in a good position, remaining on track with gas storage; furthermore, no major price hikes are expected, given that—until March 31—the price billed to household consumers will be the lower of the two: the regulated price or the contract price. This statement was made on Monday by Cristina Păun, Deputy Director of the Federation of Associations of Energy Utility Companies (ACUE).

“Romania is entering this winter in a good position. We are on track with gas storage; the target for November 1st is 90%, and there is no concern that it will be met, just as in previous years. The greatest responsibility fell on suppliers, who were required to store the largest volumes—this amidst ongoing vulnerabilities within the gas supply sector resulting from the support scheme. Major electricity suppliers are also natural gas suppliers, and their cash flow remains heavily impacted. However, there is a technical limitation: during freezing weather, even though storage facilities are full, there are technical limits on extraction rates. Should such situations arise, suppliers will naturally need to make additional purchases to meet consumption needs, most likely through imports. Yet, we are talking about isolated instances. Regarding prices, it is important to note that until March 31st, the price billed to household consumers will be the lower of two figures: the regulated price—the so-called ‘cost-plus’ rate established by Emergency Ordinance No. 12—or the contract price. This constitutes the consumer protection mechanism. At present, based on available public data, we do not anticipate significant price hikes over the winter,” stated Cristina Păun. She explained that there is currently no market liquidity, which is why it is impossible to predict what gas prices will be after March 31, 2027.

“We are seeing only a few sporadic, low-volume transactions that fail to provide a clear price signal. What we can do is prepare for the post-April 2027 period, following the current transition phase. In this regard, I believe action can be taken on two fronts: the state should implement measures to boost liquidity in the wholesale market—given that the natural gas market is more concentrated than the electricity market—and, to protect households after March 31, we must ensure targeted assistance for those in need, specifically vulnerable consumers,” she argued.

Cristina Păun highlighted that, for electricity, the ePIDS platform has already been implemented—the official electronic application developed by the Special Telecommunications Service (STS) for requesting the electronic energy voucher intended for vulnerable consumers under Emergency Ordinance (OUG) no. 35/2025—though she noted that the system requires improvement. “The state needs to better identify and inform consumers. Around 740,000 consumers currently benefit from support. It is a good tool, but it needs further development, particularly regarding information dissemination. The process itself is not difficult, and once completed, it ensures the consumer remains in the system. I believe that those who meet the state-established criteria should already be registered in the system, sparing them the need to go through the application process themselves; this way, the database of vulnerable consumers would already be integrated into ePIDS, ensuring support reaches them. Furthermore, after March 31, offers allowing for the staggering of annual costs through monthly payments—including during the summer—may also become available. Given that 80% of residential consumption occurs in winter, spreading the cost over the entire year is helpful,” the energy specialist noted.

Regarding large industrial consumers, the authorities should devise support schemes or implement tax reductions to assist them.

“In the industrial sector, the measures required are different; we are talking about state aid schemes. We are aware that the state is not always the promptest payer, but there are other types of measures available. Support mechanisms—such as aid schemes or tax cuts—need to be devised for the industrial sector. The state must decide which solution best serves Romania’s competitiveness,” she pointed out. On another note, the deputy director of ACUE stated that no simulations have been conducted for implementing a two-part tariff in the gas market; however, analyses have been carried out for the electricity sector—including impact and benefit studies—and such a system could be implemented.