A wave of unusually high winter electricity bills has triggered hundreds of consumer complaints across Bulgaria, prompting the national energy watchdog to launch a broad investigation into the country’s power distribution companies and their billing practices.
The Energy and Water Regulatory Commission said it had received at least 320 formal submissions by Tuesday, with dozens more arriving later the same day. Households claim their latest invoices are far higher than expected for the time of year.
During a hearing before the parliamentary Energy Committee on February 11, commission chair Plamen Mladenovski outlined the scale of the problem and the steps being taken to address public concerns.
According to figures presented to lawmakers, most of the complaints are directed at the country’s three main electricity distribution firms. Of the initial batch, 152 targeted Electrohold, while 89 were filed against EVN and 79 against Energo-Pro.
An additional 80 complaints were registered later that day, suggesting the number could continue to grow as more customers review their winter invoices.
Mladenovski told lawmakers that inspections had actually begun before the first official complaint was lodged. Checks started on February 4, he said, after early signals suggested abnormal billing patterns.
At the time, the regulator had not received a single formal submission. However, after a public briefing on February 5 alerted consumers to possible discrepancies, complaints rose sharply as households began examining their statements more closely.
Many of the signals are coming from homes that rely primarily on electricity for heating during the colder months. With temperatures dropping across much of the country, consumption naturally rises, which can significantly affect bills.
Still, the commission chief stressed that higher tariffs are not the cause. Electricity prices have remained unchanged since July 1 and continue to rank among the lowest within the European Union, he noted.
“The price component itself cannot explain these differences,” Mladenovski told the committee, emphasizing that the regulator’s focus is on usage patterns and billing accuracy rather than rate increases.
Officials are now collecting extensive data from the distribution companies. The commission plans to compare reported consumption with the amounts billed for a similar period, specifically January of the previous year.
While winter conditions vary from year to year, the regulator said temperature differences have been relatively small and should not, by themselves, justify dramatic spikes in consumption or costs.
Inspectors are also reviewing whether the correct tariffs were applied and whether billing periods exceed the standard 31 days. Longer billing cycles can artificially inflate the total amount due, even if daily usage remains stable.
Another area of scrutiny involves how invoice amounts are calculated and converted. So far, the commission has reported no irregularities in currency conversion procedures, suggesting the issue may lie elsewhere in the billing chain.
A significant number of submissions, however, have not met the legal requirements for formal complaints. Many consumers have simply sent copies of their invoices without supporting documentation or detailed explanations.
This lack of information complicates the administrative process and slows the review, officials said. The regulator has urged customers to provide full records, including meter readings and past bills, to speed up investigations.
In cases where charges appear two, three or even four times higher than comparable periods, the commission plans to take more direct action. Suspect meters will be removed and sent to laboratories for testing to determine whether they are functioning correctly.
Such technical checks are intended to rule out equipment faults that could lead to inaccurate readings. If errors are confirmed, consumers could receive corrections or refunds.
For now, authorities are seeking to calm public anxiety while promising thorough oversight. With winter heating demand at its peak, the coming weeks are likely to reveal whether the surge reflects normal seasonal consumption or deeper systemic issues.
The regulator says it will publish its findings once inspections are complete, aiming to restore confidence in the country’s energy billing system and ensure households are charged fairly.