Gas bills set to soar for pensioners: increases of up to 35% from April 2026

Pensioners and senior citizens in Romania are bracing for a new wave of price rises that will directly affect their household budgets. From spring 2026, natural gas bills are set to increase dramatically, as the price-capping scheme introduced to protect consumers reaches its expiry date.

Older people will be particularly hard hit, as they spend the majority of their time at home and require constant heating, especially during the colder months. For a typical two-room flat — the kind usually occupied by a retired couple — the monthly gas bill is expected to rise from around 235 RON at present to 272 RON once the market is fully liberalised.

An increase of nearly 40 RON per month represents a significant blow for Romania's senior citizens living on modest pensions. For many elderly households, that extra sum could mean going without medication, food, or other basic necessities. The financial impact is made all the harder to bear when one considers that a great many older people are already living on pensions below the poverty threshold.

Distribution zones will influence costs

Suppliers have begun publishing their first offers to the public, and these reveal considerable variation depending on geographical area. Such territorial differentiation means that senior citizens in certain parts of the country will be more severely affected than others, creating inequalities in access to heating for vulnerable groups.

Experts warn that the moment of full liberalisation, scheduled for 1 April 2026, will coincide with the end of the cold season — but the full effects will be felt during the following winter. For retired households, which typically plan their monthly expenditure with great care, this change demands substantial financial preparation.

Senior citizens' rights organisations are already calling on the authorities to consider special protective measures for pensioners on low incomes, arguing that older people do not have the flexibility to quickly reduce their consumption or find additional sources of income to cope with rising prices.

At a time when many senior households are already struggling with inflation and the rising cost of living, this fresh financial burden raises serious questions about the sustainability of living conditions for Romania's most vulnerable group of consumers.