Moldovan government winter heating compensation explained
In November, compensation for the winter season will range from 300 to 800 lei and will be calculated individually for each household.
According to Alexei Buzu, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection, citizens will not pay more for heating than they did last year, as the government will absorb tariff increases through the compensation mechanism.
The minister specified that the authorities will provide compensation only for heating, depending on the energy source used by the households: gas, district heating, or electricity. The compensation formula will be based on the principle announced by Prime Minister Dorin Recean: citizens will not pay more than they did last year.
"How will we practically implement this principle? We have analyzed the post-compensation tariff from last year. For gas, we are talking about approximately 250,000 households, where the tariff was 12 lei and 20 bani. For households with lower incomes, the tariff was lower, while for those with higher incomes, it was higher. The post-compensation tariff for district heating was 1,480 lei per gigacalorie," said the minister, adding that this year, consumers will pay the same post-compensation tariff.
Compensation will be calculated each month, with the government adjusting the formula to reflect tariff increases.
Next week, the government will adopt a resolution on the establishment of compensation for November. "Compensation will vary from 300 to 800 lei and will be determined individually, based on specific factors unique to each household. For example, if the household has lower income—such as pensioners, children, or only one working adult—the compensation amount will certainly be higher," Buzu added.
Compensation for November will be available in mid-December.
Citizens will be notified of their eligibility for compensation. When the compensation amount is determined, it will be available in the personal cabinet on the compensatii.gov.md portal, and citizens who registered with the assistance of social workers will be informed by them.
Over the past three weeks, approximately 700,000 households, representing 1,442,000 citizens, have been registered in the compensation system.
Alexei Buzu stated that resources for November will be sourced from the state budget, while those for December, January, and February will be drawn from the 2025 budget.
Unlike in previous years, when compensation was included in utility bills, this winter season, support will be provided as monetary payments.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
