site.btaHigher Electricity Bills Largely Due to Increased Consumption, Caretaker Energy Minister Traikov Says

A large share of the higher electricity bills is due to increased energy consumption, Caretaker Energy Minister Traicho Traikov said at a briefing at the Council of Ministers on Friday after a meeting convened by Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and attended by Caretaker Economy and Industry Minister Irina Shtonova and Caretaker Regional Development and Public Works Minister Angelina Boneva.

Traikov said that on the regulated market in December, compared to November 2025, electricity sales increased by 33% for Electrohold, 47% for Energo-Pro, and 41% for EVN. In January 2026, compared to December 2025, sales rose by 14.5% for Electrohold, 14.3% for Energo-Pro, and 16.2% for EVN.

“Our duty as a government is to ensure that all institutions with regulatory powers and responsibilities verify the facts and protect consumers’ rights, working in close coordination and in line with the law – and this is happening,” Traikov said.

He added that a meeting was held on Friday with the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC), where a report on the regulator’s inspections was presented. “The volumes of consumed electricity were reviewed, and a large part of the higher bills is due to greater electricity consumption,” the caretaker minister said.

“At the same time, we must check whether electricity meters are reporting accurately. That is why there is an additional inspection by an independent laboratory and by the Ministry of Energy to verify the condition of meter cabinets and seals,” Traikov said. He stressed that these checks are being carried out on a random basis rather than in response to complaints, as the ministry has not received any.

“We also held talks with the Electricity System Security Fund, which pays compensation to distribution companies. They cover the difference between regulated prices and the market prices at which electricity is purchased. We want to cross-check how large that difference is and what the actual prices are. Our aim is to cover all possible points where an error or abuse could have occurred,” Traikov explained.

According to him, EWRC data so far show that violations have been found in only a very small share of the cases examined.

Traikov added that the full report from the regulator is expected in early March.

The caretaker minister also said that every customer who has filed a complaint must receive a response from the electricity distribution company supplying them.