Energy

Households and businesses flipped their electricity and gas switches in 2022 to cope with high prices.

Official data from the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) and the Natural Gas System Operator (DESFA) for the January-November period showed a plunge in demand for electricity by 25.07% and natural gas by 17.8%.

The natural gas deal with Bulgaria is a step forward in Türkiye's efforts to become an energy hub, Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez has said.

"With this agreement, natural gas could be transmitted not only to Bulgaria but other countries via Bulgaria," Dönmez added.

Greece recorded one of the cheapest retail electricity prices in Europe in December noted Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas in a statement regarding the figures for the Household Energy Price Index throughout Europe.

Natural gas in Europe continues to fall in price at the start of the new year, falling below €70 per megawatt-hour (MWh) for the first time since the beginning of the military invasion of Ukraine, which Russia launched on February 24, 2022.

For the second week in a row, Greece stands on the European map of wholesale electricity markets as the only country that does not reflect the significant de-escalation of the gas price at the Dutch TTF hub, which has returned to the levels before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Around February 20 the government will launch the Market Pass platform for the food purchase allowance, while the low international rates of natural gas may give the government some fiscal room for another pre-election handout, as the electricity rate subsidy will be reduced.

Bulgargaz will have access to Turkey's terminals and gas transmission network. Up to 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas can be transferred annually to Bulgaria from Turkey. This became clear after Bulgargaz and the Turkish gas transmission company Botas signed a 13-year cooperation agreement.

A record number of applications has been received for energy storage investments after an amendment in the respective regulation, says Mustafa Yılmaz, head of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).

Bulgaria: Increase in Price of Gas for January, a Jump of 22.7% compared to December

Prices of natural gas used in electricity production have been reduced, while gas prices for households have been kept unchanged for January.

The Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (Botaş) announced that the price of gas used was cut by 12.75 percent to 18,000 Turkish Liras/1,000 cubic meters.

The price of natural gas households consume was kept at 4,080 liras/1,000 cubic meters.