Kosovo citizens will pay 16 percent more on electricity tariffs starting on May 1, the Kosovo Energy Regulatory Office decided on Wednesday.
The Kosovo Energy Regulatory Office, ERO, approved the new electricity tariff structure on Wednesday, reflecting a 16.1 percent increase.
Starting on May 1, 2025, those who use up to 800 kWh per month will be charged 7.79 euro cents per kWh, and those who exceed this threshold will pay 14.45 euro cents per kWh for usage above 800 kWh. The ERO conducts an annual review of electricity tariffs, which remain in force until March 31 of the following year.
The new tariffs reflect the April 11 decision from the board of ERO to increase the maximum allowed revenue for Kosovo’s electricity supply company, KESCO, the system and market operator, KOSTT, and the distribution company, KEDS.
Kosovo’s Presidency has also expressed opposition to the proposed increase. The Ministry of Economy urged ERO not to raise electricity prices for consumers using less than 800 kWh per month.
The decision to raise electricity prices has triggered public opposition. On April 11, the same day ERO approved the operators’ requests, people protested against the decision in Prishtina.
The protest was organized by the activist group “Asnjë Cent më Shumë (Not a Cent More).” Demonstrators expressed dissatisfaction with the board’s decision, accusing it of ignoring the concerns of the citizens.
Citizens also protested on April 5 at the main square of Prishtina, demanding that their concerns be heard. Several days earlier, on April 2, police arrested a dozen activists when they tried to storm the energy regulatory premise during a protest against the energy price increase.
According to the ERO, the 16-per-cent increase reflects rising demand, a lack of local production, and a rise in the price of imported energy. “Because most countries in the region are net importers, cross-border networks are often overloaded. This leads to increased prices for using cross-border lines for imports,” it explained in its consultative reports prior to approving the increase.
In late March 2025, ERO told BIRN that the majority of the consumption is covered by local production, with over 77% by outdated coal power plants, which lack flexibility to adapt to changes in demand, especially during peak times” and over 22 per cent by renewable energy sources.
However, ERO explained that “the energy system in the Republic of Kosovo … is designed primarily to produce baseload electricity, which is based on lignite as a raw material, but not to cover peak loads and balance the system, which remains a major challenge for all participants in the sector,” which creates the need for imports, and occasional exports “to balance the system.”
The new tariffs will not affect businesses with over 50 employees or over 10 million euros annual turnover, which, starting on June 1, 2025, have to enter the open energy market to purchase their energy independently. The Kosovo Chamber of Commerce has objected to the decision and lodged a complaint with the Ombudsperson and called for a one-year stay of execution.
The head of the Chamber of Commerce told BIRN in early April that the threshold of 50 employees and 10 million euros turnover “does not correspond with the economic and political circumstances in Kosovo,” explaining that their request is to have a price based on consumption.
Source @Prishtina Insight: Read more : Kosovo Kosovo News
