Economic.bg announces that the final vote on the bill amending the Energy Act related for reimbursements due to lower natural gas prices is postponed. This was confirmed by the Chairman of the Energy Committee Valentin Nikolov. The proposed amendments, which were voted at the first reading in the National Assembly, provoked sharp reactions from the business.
The amendments address the issue of how Bulgargaz will repay BGN 150 million to its customers retroactively due to the renegotiation of a lower price for Russian gas. For residential customers, a refund is offered by deducting the excess amount in the next invoice or by recalculating the balancing invoice (for those who pay the forecast bills).
The amendments are postponed due to the part defining how the money will be returned to industrial customers, which since the beginning of 2020 have been buying natural gas from Bulgargaz on the free market. The proposal is for them to be paid back for the period from 5 August to 31 December, because since then they have purchased gas from Bulgargaz not as a public provider but as a trader on the free market.
The business estimates that it is an excess of BGN 45 million and insists that the amendments to the Energy act clearly state and guarantee how this money will be refunded.
The vote on the bill is postponed to 13.04.2020
Source: Economic.bg