The electricity bill has become one of the most complicated and unpredictable expenses for a family in Bucharest. After two years of successive price caps, the support scheme ended in July 2025, and residents are now facing the real prices set in their contracts with suppliers.

What the price cap meant and what changed

Until June 30, 2025, electricity prices were capped based on consumption tiers: households using under 100 kWh per month paid the lowest rate (0.68 lei/kWh), between 100 and 255 kWh the rate was 0.80 lei/kWh, and for higher consumption the price increased gradually up to around 1.3 lei/kWh.

From July 1, however, the cap was removed. Bills now depend entirely on the contract signed with the supplier, which includes the price of energy plus regulated charges for transport, distribution, and VAT.

What bills look like now, in September 2025

A two-room apartment consuming about 150–200 kWh/month used to pay between 120 and 160 lei in the spring thanks to the cap. Today, the same household easily reaches 220–280 lei per month, even with identical consumption.

If the home has large consumers (electric boiler, heavy use of air conditioning, old appliances), the bill quickly jumps past 400 lei. For larger apartments or houses with 400–500 kWh per month, bills can exceed 600–700 lei.

Why you pay differently than your neighbor

Even in the same building, bills can look very different. What matters is:

• the distribution area (network tariffs are not identical everywhere);
• the supplier and type of contract (fixed price for 12 months vs. variable rate);
• the power of household appliances (boilers, electric stoves, air conditioners, dryers);
• the number of people in the apartment and daily habits (cooking at home, leaving devices plugged in, frequent use of air conditioning, etc.).

What a consumer in Bucharest can do

• Check their contract – many don’t actually know what price per kWh they signed for.
• Compare suppliers’ offers – the differences can be significant, especially after the cap was lifted.
• Monitor monthly consumption – a smart meter or regular checks make it clear where the kilowatts go.
• Cut waste – LED bulbs, efficient appliances, switching off devices not in use.
• Avoid peak hours – many appliances (washing machines, dryers) can be used late at night or early morning, when overall demand is lower.

As of September 2025, a Bucharest resident pays at least twice as much for electricity as at the beginning of the year, for the same level of consumption. The difference comes from the end of the price cap and from suppliers’ commercial offers. From now on, more responsibility falls on the consumer: choosing contracts carefully, knowing personal consumption habits, and reducing waste.