Electricity prices - Romania

Romanian Electricity Market Overview

Primary Electricity Sources

Romania’s power generation mix is roughly half renewable and half non‑renewable. In 2023 about 50% of electricity production (delivered to the grid) came from renewables: mainly hydropower (~33.5% of total) and wind (~14.1%), with small shares from solar (~1.8%) and biomass (~0.6%). The remaining generation was from non‑renewables: nuclear (19.4%), natural gas (16.8%), and coal (about 13.4%). (Nuclear is low‑carbon but not renewable.) In sum, Romania’s largest source is hydropower, followed by nuclear and gas, with coal and wind also significant. This mix reflects both abundant hydro/nuclear assets and growing wind/solar deployment.

Electricity Price Formation for Consumers

Retail electricity prices for end‑users in Romania consist of several components, regulated and market‑based. In general, the final bill per kWh includes:

• Energy supply cost – the price of active energy plus the supplier’s margin. This largely reflects the wholesale cost of generation (or a long‑term contract price) plus a fixed “supply” component. Under current emergency regulations, household customers have a capped supply price: 0.68 lei/kWh (incl. VAT) for the first 100 kWh per month, 0.80 lei for the next 155 kWh, and 1.30 lei above that. For eligible businesses, a similar cap applies (1.00 lei/kWh for 85% of usage, 1.30 lei for the rest). Absent these caps (in later periods or beyond quotas), the supply price would float or be set by the competitive market.
• Network (grid) tariffs – regulated fees for transmission and distribution. ANRE sets region‑specific tariffs for transport and distribution services. Typical distribution tariffs are on the order of 0.30–0.50 lei/kWh (excl. VAT) depending on voltage level and distributor. These are added to the energy price.
• Support levies and surcharges – statutory contributions for energy policy goals. These include the green certificate fee (support for renewables), cogeneration levy, and the new Contracts for Difference (CfD) charge. For example, in 2025 the green certificate component is roughly 0.072 lei/kWh and the cogeneration contribution ~0.0035 lei/kWh. (CfD contributions are very small as of 2025.)
• Taxes and fees – including excise tax and VAT. A small excise (about 0.0072 lei/kWh) applies to households, and the total price is subject to 19% VAT.

In sum, the final retail price = (energy price + supply margin) + (regulated transport & distribution tariffs) + (renewable/cogeneration levies) + (excise + VAT). For price-capped contracts, this sum is then constrained by the government ceiling (e.g. 0.68 lei/kWh). Table excerpts from typical offers illustrate this breakdown: for instance, a household capped at 0.68 lei/kWh includes ~0.59 lei of energy + ~0.07 lei for network tariffs + 0.0035 lei cogeneration + 0.0072 lei excise + VAT. All components above (grid tariffs, green certificates, cogeneration, excise, VAT) are set by law/regulation and can be updated by ANRE or the government.

Dynamic Electricity Tariffs

Dynamic tariffs are retail pricing contracts where the unit price of electricity varies over time (typically hourly) in line with market prices. Instead of a fixed €/kWh rate, customers are billed based on the real‐time or day‐ahead wholesale market price. In practice, Romanian dynamic tariffs track the hourly Day‑Ahead Market (PZU) prices set by OPCOM (the national power exchange). Under a dynamic plan, each hour has a different energy price: the supplier passes through the PZU price for that hour, plus a fixed supply margin and the usual regulated fees. In other words: “the cost of active energy varies hourly, reflecting the Day‑Ahead Market price (PZU); to this are added a fixed supply component and regulated network charges”.

Dynamic pricing requires a smart meter (SMI system) at the customer’s site to record consumption by the hour. Smart meters allow the supplier to match consumption to the corresponding hourly rate. Legally, EU energy rules (Electricity Directive 2019/944) have been transposed: suppliers with >200,000 customers are obliged to offer dynamic contracts to any customer with a smart meter on request. ANRE published a list of large suppliers (Electrica, E.ON, Enel, CEZ, Hidroelectrica) that must provide such offers. In Romania today, dynamic tariff contracts typically specify a formula based on PZU prices. For example, one large offer (“E.ON Dinamic Electric”) bills each hour’s consumption at that hour’s PZU price plus a 0.39 lei/kWh fixed margin (plus the standard network/tax charges). Thus, customers on dynamic plans face volatile pricing: they pay very low rates when wholesale prices fall (e.g. sunny windy periods) but can pay more during peak hours. In return, they have more incentive to shift usage to off‑peak (renewable‑heavy) hours.

Major Providers of Dynamic Tariffs

Several leading suppliers in Romania now offer dynamic‑pricing contracts to eligible customers (typically requiring a smart meter). The main ones include:

• Electrica Furnizare – The incumbent supplier (including the Universal Service arm) offers “Preț Dinamic” for residential customers and “Business Dinamic” for non‑households. Both require an integrated smart meter (SMI). Under these offers, the billed price varies hourly with the OPCOM Day‑Ahead price. (For business customers, Electrica’s Business Dinamic explicitly ties the supply price to the market hourly PZU weighted by consumption profile.)
• E.ON Energie România – E.ON’s residential plan “E.ON Dinamic Electric” charges customers based on the OPCOM PZU hourly prices, plus a fixed 0.39 lei/kWh supplier margin. (E.ON also provides comparable dynamic contracts for its commercial clients.)
• Enel Energie (Enel Muntenia and Enel Energie Romania) – Enel is on ANRE’s mandated list to offer dynamic rates. They provide smart‑meter tariffs that flow through the Day‑Ahead market price.
• CEZ Vânzare – The CEZ retail arm likewise offers dynamic pricing for smart‑meter customers.
• Hidroelectrica SA – The state‑owned hydro generator (which also supplies retail customers) has launched dynamic‑price plans for clients with smart meters.

All these offers function under similar principles (hourly PZU prices, plus fixed and regulated components). Eligibility is limited to customers who have an SMI smart meter installed at their point of consumption. Providers typically publish the tariff formulas and weights. Some other suppliers or aggregators also experiment with flexible pricing, but the above are the major ones by market share.

Peak and Off-Peak Hours

Romania 2024 – Average Hourly Wholesale Electricity Price (OPCOM)