Moldova's ANRE debates gas and fuel tariff hikes amid rising energy costs

The National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) has drafted a new regulated gas tariff that would raise the household price to 20.30 lei per cubic metre (including VAT), up from the current 14.42 lei. The proposal is lower than the 20.93 lei demanded by the state supplier Energocom, which has asked for a roughly 45 % increase to cover a negative financial deviation of about 106 million lei caused by higher market purchase prices.

Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu reiterated that tariff adjustments are decided by ANRE, not the ministry, and noted that the regulator follows a prescribed methodology that allows changes when deviations exceed 1 % of a supplier’s turnover. ANRE director Constantin Borosan said the agency is examining ways to cut distribution‑related costs, which account for about 60 % of the gas price, but any savings would be reflected only after detailed calculations.

At the same time, ANRE announced higher fuel tariffs for gasoline and diesel, adding roughly 20 lei per litre to pump prices effective 24 July. The increase follows a rise in international oil prices and regional supply‑chain risks, including tensions in the Middle East.

Former President Igor Dodon claimed Moldova could obtain cheaper Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline, a proposal dismissed by Junghietu as economically and technically unfeasible. The regulator’s ongoing public consultation on the gas tariff will run for ten working days before a final decision is taken.