Moldova’s National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) has reduced the regulated price of natural gas for households (a price set/approved by the state regulator rather than the free market). As of 4 February 2026, a new tariff of around 14.42–14.43 MDL per cubic metre including VAT applies, which equals approximately €0.72–0.74/m³ depending on the exchange rate and billing date (13.35 MDL/m³ excluding VAT). Compared to the previous price of 16.74 MDL/m³, this represents a reduction of nearly 14 percent.
For comparison, the EU average price for households in the first half of 2025 stood at around €0.114/kWh (€11.43 per 100 kWh), an eight percent decrease year on year. As the Moldovan tariff is expressed in €/m³, the units are not directly comparable; roughly, 1 m³ of natural gas corresponds to about 10–11 kWh, depending on calorific value.
The key mechanism that enabled this year’s price cut in Moldova is the regulatory “settlement” of excess revenues at the state-owned supplier. According to ANRE, so-called positive financial deviations reached around 360 million MDL (about €18.5 million), part of which was returned to consumers through a lower tariff. In other words, the regulator used accumulated surplus funds to immediately ease household and business energy bills. In practical terms, February bills in Moldova are calculated using the new tariff from the date the decision entered into force. The adjustment is not limited to households: prices have also been reduced for other consumer categories, including users connected to high- and medium-pressure networks, as reported by Moldovan media.
Along with the decision, ANRE published the cost structure: the largest share of the price still relates to gas procurement in the country (around 58 percent), followed by distribution (around 36 percent), with the remainder covering transmission and supply costs.
For the region, this move signals that public regulatory mechanisms remain crucial in cushioning price shocks on the gas market.
Moldova entered a crisis in 2022 following reduced supplies of Russian gas and regional disruptions in the power system. Subsequently, at the end of 2024, a state of emergency was declared due to the announced complete halt of supplies as of 1 January 2025, upon the expiry of the transit arrangement via Ukraine. The most severe consequences were felt in Transnistria, through problems with heating and hot water, even though the region had for decades been responsible for producing the largest share of electricity. Chişinău accelerated supply diversification and, with EU support, worked to stabilise the energy system.
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