TIRANA, Sept. 30, 2022 – Albania’s government will suspend its decision to massively increase electricity prices for families that consume more than 800 kWh, the prime minister, Edi Rama, said Friday.
Rama cited an improved situation in Albania’s hydropower domestic capacity and a lower demand coming from temperate weather and people actively lowering energy consumption.
The price increase was scheduled to start implementation on Saturday, Oct. 1, to reflect the price that the state-owned electricity companies were paying in the open European market to import electricity.
Rama did not say whether the increase would be implemented at a later date.
The price of electricity was to increase more than four fold to 42 lek per kWh for all families that spend more than 800 kWh per month. The portion below the threshold would get charged the current 9 lek price.
The government said more than 90 percent of household consumers would not be affected by the price, but the opposition and independent analysts say the number of households affected is much higher — more than one in five — during the winter months when people rely on electricity for heating.
All of Europe has seen energy prices spike as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting disruption to energy markets.
The Albanian government had come under pressure from the political opposition not to increase the prices of electricity.
Opposition leaders Sali Berisha and Ilir Meta said Friday that Rama had “surrendered” to the opposition’s pressure and worry over declining poll numbers.
Albania relies primarily on its several hydroelectric power plants on its rivers for domestic production, which can go more than 75 percent to meet domestic needs, but it still needs to fill the gap through other means, especially during drier years.
