The Chamber of Deputies has adopted the bill that aims to improve the status of prosumers. The main changes establish quantitative compensation every month instead of after 24 months. In addition, the amount of surplus energy could be redirected or used to settle gas bills.
The initiator of the bill and chairman of the Energy Committee, RMDSZ senator Antal Lóránt emphasizes the growing interest among the population for the installation of photovoltaic panels, with is 250,000 prosumers at present, which accumulates about 3,000 MW in installed capacity. “The current system of compensation and management of the surplus produced needed to be improved.” The Chamber of Deputies voted on the bill as the deciding chamber and it will enter into force after promulgation by the Romanian president.
The changes introduced ensure that prosumers will be able to redirect the value of their surplus energy to other points of consumption, irrespective of the point of production, thus reducing the amount of electricity bills they receive at other addresses. It also becomes possible to settle their gas bill with the amount of this surplus. In a press release, Senator Antal Lóránt emphasizes that it is only possible to settle gas bills if both electricity and gas are supplied by the same company.
“The drafting and especially the adoption of this bill was a long process and we had to make a serious effort to get the bill back through both chambers of Parliament after the President’s request for reconsideration. We made the necessary amendments, took into account the views of all stakeholders, did not hesitate to adjust the text of the initiative and did not hesitate to listen to the opinions of experts. Our objective was clear: to make the system more efficient and make life easier for prosumers”, added Antal Lóránt.
On the other hand, the draft law still has important shortcomings, according to an association of prosumers – it is not clearly established the due date of payment of active energy for prosumers, “it is not mentioned whether the payment will be made monthly, 3 months, 6 months or otherwise”, points out the Association of Energy Consumers and Communities (APCE).
“Moreover, there are also unclearties with regard to quantitative compensation on several consumption sites, where the conditions are quite restrictive: the prosumer must have an installed power below 27 kW, be a natural person and have a second or third property in the same name, with a contract with the same supplier for at least 12 months. According to PACE’s calculations, only about 28% of prosumers would meet these conditions,” according to a APCE press release.