site.btaEnergy Minister Urges Regulator to Set Deadline for High Electricity Bill Reviews as Complaints Reach 2,200

Caretaker Energy Minister Traicho Traikov called on the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) to provide full information and a clear timeline for completing investigations into complaints about high electricity bills, the Ministry said on Friday.

EWRC received around 2,200 such complaints by Friday, nearly double the 1,200 reported on Thursday. 

Following the Minister’s initiative and amid rising public concern over higher winter electricity bills, a working meeting was held on Friday with EWRC Chair Plamen Mladenovski.

According to EWRC, average electricity consumption rose by 30–40% in December 2025 compared with November. Analysis covering November, December, and January shows that 40–45% of complainants used less electricity than a year earlier, around 20% had higher consumption, and a few cases showed significant deviations. The regulator has committed to presenting aggregated results of the reviews by late February–early March, with the Minister to receive regular updates.

The meeting also addressed potential compensation for consumers if violations are found, which would be the responsibility of electricity distribution companies under strengthened regulatory oversight.

In early February, EWRC reported receiving over 300 complaints from household consumers, and the Bulgarian Ombudsman recommended a review after dozens of citizens flagged unexplained December 2025 and January 2026 bill increases.