As we have been used to for the last year, we again have a law that causes confusion and puts Romanians on the road or makes them pay, according to an analysis by the Intelligent Energy Association, led by Dumitru Kiselice.

The populist way of creating an energy price ceiling law was desired by introducing different categories of beneficiaries (which are usually the prerogative of other consumer support actions), but especially because of the desire to apply the ceiling to a single point of consumption.

The Electricity Price Cap Law, effective from January 1, 2023, sets a limit for obtaining a price cap below the level of 1.3 lei/kWh due to the obligation of the consumer to submit a request to the electricity supplier declaring its own statement by December 31, 2022 . responsibility for the fact that he falls into one of the situations provided for by law.

• uses devices, equipment or medical equipment necessary for treatment, based on self-declaration, for full consumption;

• they maintain at least 3 children under the age of 18, respectively 26 years, if they study according to the form of education, for the entire amount of consumption achieved;

• single-parent families with at least one dependent child under the age of 18, respectively 26 years, if they are studying according to the form of education, for the entire amount of consumption achieved

• they have several houses and they can and want to benefit from a limited electricity price below 1.3 lei/kWh.

• they do not have more than one house, but their home address is different from their residential address, and they can and want to benefit from the limited electricity price below 1.3 lei/kWh.

In the absence of such a declaration submitted to the supplier before the month of supply, the consumer, even if he has these rights, will not benefit from them in the month of supply.

But the way this law is written leads to a ridiculous scale

The law establishes that the ceiling price of 1.3 lei/kWh applies exclusively to “domestic/local places of consumption”. This situation determines the need for the supplier to provide these restrictions and get his money back from the state, except for the situation where it is guaranteed that the domestic consumer will benefit from the limited price only once at one place of consumption.

Under these conditions, the supplier must be informed and obtain a statement under his own responsibility that he has only one place of consumption where he will benefit from the limited price and what that place is, and also declare under his own responsibility that he does not have another place of consumption where he can use the limited price below 1.3 lei/kWh: “can use the limited price provided for in para. (1) lit. a) and b) either at the home address or at the residential address, on the basis of a self-responsible declaration submitted by the supplier to the fact that he does not benefit from the price limitation for another place of consumption.

These are legal provisions. Abyss. But this is the law.

Under such conditions, the absurdity of the Law, which obliges 9 million consumers within 15 days, during this holiday period, to run and submit appeals and statements to the supplier.

What happens if you don’t? You will pay 1.3 lei/kWh. That is, you will pay 60-90% more for the consumed electricity, if you followed the restrictions provided by law.

What can be done? New Emergency Ordinance to Amend the Act Approving Certain Emergency Ordinances to Amend the Emergency Ordinances Amending the Emergency Price Limit Ordinances to Delete This Provision for Providing an Exceptional Single Dwelling Limit.