Employers and trade unions have asked Prime Minister Rumen Radev for an urgent meeting over the rise in electricity prices. They made the request in an open letter from five national organisations: AIKB, BSK, KRIB, KNSB and Podkrepa. They want compensation paid on time, not late.
The groups also want Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev and Energy Minister Iva Petrova to attend. The letter says power prices rose by about 126% between June and October and are about 82% higher than in October 2025. They also want to discuss the rules for energy-intensive firms and the aid programme for other non-household users.
Compensation is paid under two schemes: one for non-household end users and one for energy-intensive firms. The employers and unions say that under both, the money arrives late, just when firms need it most. They say the delay amounts to a forced loan from business to the state.
The groups want the Energy Ministry and the Security of the Electricity System Fund to explain in public why they are going back to a one-off payment. They want to see how much money is in the fund, what compensation would cost at different prices, where the money will come from and what share of costs it will cover. They also propose extra funding for the fund, such as a state guarantee or bridge financing, so that it does not run out of money because of the late payment.
They say Bulgargaz must end its dual pricing while prices stay extreme. The company sells to district heating firms and gas distributors at regulated prices, but sells the agreed volumes for 2026 and 2027 to energy-intensive firms at market prices.
The employers and unions propose a permanent working group of the Energy Ministry, the Finance Ministry, employers and unions. It would track the power price every month, suggest changes to the aid programme and discuss extra help for firms and jobs. They also want to be consulted first on every change to the programme, including in the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation, and ask for a review of the market for raw materials, fuel and energy.
According to the letter, electricity is a main cost for industry, food production, transport, trade and services. Most of the firms that provide the bulk of jobs have no cash reserves and no bargaining power to withstand such a shock for long. The groups warn of halted production, job cuts, short-time work, late wages, unfulfilled fixed-price contracts and higher prices for goods and services. Small and medium-sized firms could close, with irreversible effects on local labour markets.
There is little time to prevent worse damage this winter, the letter says.
High prices also hit cultural institutions, which are not covered by the special scheme that compensates down to the price for household customers. They need timely and predictable support to keep working and to keep cultural services open to the public.