Higher bills this winter: Hidroelectrica raises energy prices, gas prices are also on the rise

The cold season once again brings bad news for Romanians' budgets. Hidroelectrica has raised the price of active energy in its new offers, from 45 to 51.5 bani per kilowatt-hour, whilst natural gas prices are also rising on the European market. According to Realitatea PLUS, these increases come precisely during the period when energy consumption rises due to the cold, putting additional pressure on those with low incomes, particularly pensioners.

What Hidroelectrica's announced price rise means

The price increase announced by the supplier relates strictly to the active energy component in new offers, not to the overall final price shown on the bill. Nevertheless, many consumers fear this is merely the beginning of a broader wave of price rises that will affect their monthly budgets for basic necessities such as electricity and gas.

Family budgets becoming increasingly difficult to manage

People complain that they can no longer make any meaningful savings, no matter how carefully they manage their income. Every new price rise forces them to cut back on other expenses, limiting their daily consumption. One woman recounts that, for her and her husband — both pensioners — their money goes entirely on food and bills, meaning they can no longer support their children financially as they once did. She says the difference is clearly noticeable when shopping: whereas in the past a 300 RON basket would cover their needs, she now spends nearly 1,000 RON on a week's worth of groceries.

Fear of winter: firewood, food, and energy bills

Elderly people on small pensions fear they will not have enough money for heating, and some cannot even afford basic foodstuffs. One pensioner draws attention to the fact that there are elderly people who cannot afford firewood and depend on their neighbours' help to put food on the table. She herself tries to help people in difficulty with food, although she acknowledges that her own expenses have become hard to bear: "I have nothing left to save from. Everything has gone up in price, and the train has gone up too," she says.

How people are trying to reduce their bills

Faced with rising prices, many Romanians are trying to limit their electricity consumption by switching off lights and using household appliances only when absolutely necessary, even if the resulting savings are modest. One woman says she manages to reduce her bill by spending a great deal of time at her daughter's home with her grandchildren. Other families, however, are faced with enormous bills — one example given is of a person who ends up paying approximately 1,600 RON per month for electricity, due to the use of a boiler and other household appliances.