Bulgarian state-owned supplier Bulgargaz has proposed increasing its regulated wholesale gas price for September to around €41.60/MWh, reflecting stronger expected demand and a less favourable supply mix.
The proposed price would be 5.5% above the approximately €39.40/MWh approved for August.
August itself represented a 4.5% increase from July, meaning approval of the new proposal would extend the upward movement in Bulgaria’s regulated gas benchmark into a second consecutive month.
Bulgargaz CEO Georgi Tatarski said the proposed September level would nevertheless remain more than €22/MWh below prices on European exchanges and Bulgaria’s Balkan Gas Hub.
The latest calculation follows a change in demand expectations.
Several district-heating companies that had previously requested reductions in their contracted gas volumes subsequently withdrew those requests after revising anticipated consumption higher.
The supplier is simultaneously facing a less advantageous procurement mix.
Azerbaijani gas remains the cheapest source within the Bulgargaz portfolio, but its share of total supply has decreased, increasing the relative contribution of more expensive volumes.
The final regulatory decision will have implications beyond Bulgargaz itself because its regulated wholesale price remains an important benchmark across the Bulgarian market.
District-heating companies are among the most directly exposed users, while distribution businesses and industrial consumers also reference the regulated level when assessing procurement costs.
The latest revision highlights how Bulgaria’s domestic wholesale price continues to depend not only on European gas-market movements but also on the composition of Bulgargaz’s portfolio and the proportion of lower-priced Azerbaijani supply available during each pricing period.
