Electricity and heating bills for households will not rise before the end of the heating season, even though natural gas costs 32% more for November, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Wednesday, 4 November. At the start of the regular cabinet meeting, he also rejected claims that the government will move money from the second pension pillar to the National Social Security Institute (NOI).
On Tuesday, the opposition said those in power were preparing a partial nationalisation of the second pillar to cover the budget deficit. The same day, Konstantin Prodanov, chair of parliament's budget committee, said he had not heard of such a plan.
The background: Prodanov has not heard of a plan for the state to take part of the second pension pillar
"The hysteria that the government will steal from the pensions of Bulgarian citizens through the second pension pillar is baseless," Radev said. He said the election campaign is over, so the manipulation should stop, and some politicians need to understand that.
Electricity and heating prices stay the same under a decision by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (KEVR). Radev noted that KEVR is an independent regulator and the government does not interfere in its work. A week ago, at a cabinet meeting, he promised that the state would back the decision with its own mechanisms.
On Monday, 2 November, the regulator set the gas price for November at €58.43 per megawatt hour, excluding access and transmission charges, excise duty and VAT. KEVR data show a rise of 32.52% on October.
This is the price at which Bulgargaz EAD supplies gas to end suppliers, as well as to licensed heat producers and transmitters.
Even after the rise, Bulgarian gas is nearly 40% below the TTF index, which is used for trading on the European exchange. Radev said the lower price helps Bulgarian business stay competitive.
The prime minister also spoke about the National Audit Office reports of the past few days, which he called a "devastating diagnosis for the previous government".
He said the 2025 deficit was well above 3%, but was deliberately hidden so that Bulgaria could join the eurozone.