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Romgaz, Hidroelectrica must enter supply market for home consumers, otherwise Gov't takes measures
Minister of Economy, Energy and the Business Environment, Virgil Popescu, stated on Tuesday evening, at private broadcaster Digi 24 that he is disappointed by state companies Romgaz and Hidroelectrica because they are not entering the supply market for home consumers and warned that he will take measures if nothing changes in their commercial policy.
"I am very disappointed by Romgaz, which is a gas producer and did not understand until now that if it remains at the stage of gas producer and wholesale gas seller, it will lose the market. I warned them privately that it's not normal for a state company to sell gas to home consumers at 90 RON. (...) Romgaz unfortunately has a very bad commercial policy and I say that unreservedly. Things cannot go on like this. I told them so many times that it's time to enter this supply market. I see they are reticent in doing this. It means that they must make some changes in their commercial policy," said Virgil Popescu.
He claims that a similar situation is happening at Hidroelectrica too, company that should learn the lesson of natural gas liberalization, because on January 1, 2021 that is what will happen on the electrical energy market as well.
"Just as well on the electrical energy market we have a big producer, Hidroelectrica. I still see that it will not enter the home consumers market. It must learn from this lesson of liberalization of natural gas, because on January 1 we will have the liberalization for electrical energy. It's the same phenomenon, why sell cheaper to a provider that would sell in its turn more expensively to a home consumer instead of selling to the home consumer myself and ensuring a maximization of price. Obviously I will sell more than I'd sell to the provider. I see there the same bad commercial policy. I don't understand this thing. Probably my patience too has a limit and probably if nothing changes we will take measures," the minister warned.
Asked what he will effectively do in the case of these companies, Popescu mentioned that he would impose clear indicators for the entry on the supply market for home consumers, and whoever "does not observe them, leaves".