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Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva sent a recommendation to the resigned Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and to the retired Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov, in which she insists that the state compensate households for natural gas, due to the application submitted by Bulgargaz EAD to the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (KEVR ) for an unprecedentedly large increase in the regulated price of blue fuel from August 1, 2022. Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva sent a recommendation to the resigned Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and to the retired Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov, in which she insists that the state compensate households for natural gas, due to the application submitted by Bulgargaz EAD to the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (KEVR) for an unprecedentedly large increase in the regulated price of blue fuel from August 1, 2022.

According to the published application, the price of natural gas from the public supplier for August 2022 should be BGN 286.84/megawatt hour, or 54.07% above the current price of BGN 186.17/megawatt hour.

"I draw your attention to the fact that the new price stated by Bulgargaz EAD is twice as high as the recently approved one for June 2022 in the amount of BGN 141.76/megawatt hour, which was included in the KEVR forecasts when determining the regulated prices of thermal energy and electric energy from the highly efficient combined production of companies from the "Heat Supply" sector for the price period from 07/01/2022 to 06/30/2023," the public defender wrote.

Prof. Kovacheva insists that the government's Program for compensation of households in connection with the high prices of natural gas, adopted by Decision No. 31/2022, be urgently renewed, as well as that the Council of Ministers set a limit on the prices of natural gas for household customers, as the difference to the prices approved by the regulator is compensated by the state.

"It is my categorical opinion that the regulated prices of electricity, hot water and central heating already exceed the limit of social tolerance for the vast majority of consumers, and the requested unprecedented increase in the price of natural gas goes far beyond this limit. The energy costs of households are growing explosively against the background of a record high annual inflation in Bulgaria, which in June 2022 amounted to 16.9%, according to the data of the National Statistical Institute", argues the ombudsman.

Diana Kovacheva also warns that the escalation of natural gas prices threatens the ability of thousands of Bulgarian citizens to meet their basic household needs. As well as that the increase in the price of fuels and energy creates a risk of a rapid spread of energy poverty, which is a threat to social peace.

In conclusion, the ombudsman also recalls his opinion of July 1, 2022, in which he insists that all Bulgarian citizens receive state support for meeting basic energy and fuel needs, as the increase in the income of the population in Bulgaria lags behind the escalation of numerous crises.