Economist Dumitru Barbalat claims that ANRE is allowing Energocom to overcharge consumers for gas.
He says the regulator is approving bills based on the maximum calorific value of gas. Instead, the calculation should use the weighted average.
According to Barbalat, this practice began in July 2026. He argues that it breaks the law and misleads consumers.
“This is a violation of the law (ANRE Regulation No. 297/2022, paragraphs 52–55, and EU Regulation 2015/703, Article 16) and a direct deception of consumers,” he wrote.
Barbalat points to these two regulations to support his claim. He says they set out clear rules for calculating service charges.
However, he alleges that Energocom uses the maximum calorific value of gas, ranging from 10.36 to 10.46 kWh per cubic metre. It should use the weighted average instead.
The difference may seem small, but it adds up. Barbalat estimates that households pay an extra 6–7 lei per month for an apartment. For a house, the overcharge may exceed 90 lei.
He is calling on citizens to file complaints with ANRE, Energocom and the government. He wants the authorities to explain the legal basis for using the maximum value. He also demands a recalculation of bills from July to October.
Barbalat has raised another concern about gas quality:
“If the laboratory is not accredited, which parameters are not being monitored? Who independently assesses the quality of the gas?”
There are also questions about how Energocom handles public money.
According to MP Constantin Cuiumju, the state-owned company is providing the Moldovan government with a short-term loan that carries interest. The loan is reportedly worth around 361 million lei.
The MP also claims that Energocom made more than 1.2 billion lei in profit in 2024 and 2025. Yet the company transferred only 322 million lei to the state budget.
It kept almost 900 million lei.
That is the arithmetic behind the controversy. And Moldovan consumers are left asking who benefits from it.
