EC Criticizes Bulgaria's Approach to Energy Poverty

The European Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger, has criticized the way Bulgaria is handling "energy poverty" in the country.

According to Oettinger, lowering electric power prices is not the most productive method to assist people who cannot afford to pay their bills.

The Commissioner has explained before the Energy and Industry Committee at the European Parliament that instead of regulating electric power prices, a more appropriate approach to eliminate energy poverty would be the use of social systems providing assistance to people who cannot pay utility bills.

On behalf of the EC, Oettinger made the commitment to probe the reasons for the wide-spread energy poverty in Bulgaria and other EU Member States and to put on the table concrete proposals to deal with it.