The price of electricity at the end consumer after the price cap is removed on April 1, 2025 will range between RON 1.03 - 1.15 per kWh, VAT included, which would mean a 21% price increase for those with a consumption of over 255 kWh/month and by 51% for those who use less than 100 kWh/month, said president of the Smart Energy Association (AEI) Dumitru Chisalita, as he made a prediction of the electricity prices after the cap expires.

"The electricity price offers for the post-capping period that appear in the market are currently between RON 1.03 - 1.43 per kWh, VAT included. This will most likely be the interval where the next offers from other household electricity suppliers will also range," the AEI president said in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the electricity costs for a supplier in Bucharest, taking into account the average trading prices on the Romanian Electricity and Gas Market with delivery next year stand between RON 0.4818 and 0.51864 per kWh, and after all the fees, taxes, excises and the commercial mark-up are added, the average price next year would reach RON 1.0365 per kWh, VAT included, provided that the taxes, excises and fees stay the same.

The AEI president said that the calculation does not take in consideration the costs of the imbalances that "at certain moments in 2024 were based on the highest prices in Europe".

Thus, as of April 1, 2025, the electricity price for the end consumer shall not be lower than RON 1.03 per kWh and the prices will most probably range between RON 1.03 - 1.15 per kWh, VAT included.

"Maintaining an electricity price cap of RON 0.68/kWh means selling below costs for suppliers, respectively the risk of a dysfunctional energy supply, or the need for public money to subsidize these prices, i.e. increases in fees and taxes - which in fact is at the disadvantage of the poor population," Dumitru Chisalita argues.

Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja noted on Wednesday evening in a Facebook post that, the way the market looks so far, all consumers in Romania will pay electricity prices lower than the current top ceiling of RON 1.3 per kWh. Reports of the transactions concluded as of 24.10.2024 on the electricity markets managed by the national energy market administrator show that the energy due for continuous delivery in 2025 sold for a weighted average price of RON 485.28 per MWh, and the peak was RON 539.31 per MWh. Adding the suppliers' balancing costs, the profit margin and all other regulated taxes and fees, we see that in all distribution areas the final selling price is between RON 1.1 and 1.22 per kWh, so below the current cap of RON 1.3 per kWh, Burduja explained. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mariana Nica, editor: Nicoleta Gherasi; EN - editor: Simona Klodnischi)