Bulgaria's energy legislation and the heating distribution regulations violate the principle of competitiveness  and rob the consumers of their choice, the anti-monopoly Commission for Protection of Competition, CPC, has stated.

In agreement to the current enactment the amount of energy used for heating water is calculated by a formula and by the measurement of a common water meter in a substation. Inaccurate calculation leads to incorrect allocation of hot water costs among the individual consumers in a building, the anti-monopolists think.

CPC suggests installing additional devices for taking accurate measurement of heating in the substations at the expense of the centralized heating systems.

CPC also recommends that the enactment provide effective sanctions for unscrupulous consumers, who have not installed water meters for hot water in their properties.

The heating installation in a building is by law a common part, the cost of which is met by all proprietors in an agreement reached by the council of the block of flats.  At the same time, the amendments in the energy legislation and the heating regulations envisage the amount of heating energy in a building to be determined by the heating accountants, using a formula, not by an agreement of the council of block of flats.

The anti- monopoly commission thinks that the current enactment should be changed so that all methods for measurement and determination of the heating in a building are included with the council of block of flats deciding which one to use in a specific building.

The commission also suggests lifting the ban on removal of radiators from the heating installation in buildings, as it is detriment to consumers' well-being. The reason is that people have to pay the price to read and share distribution of radiators, although in practice they do not emit heat.

In its stand the commission also ascertains two concrete problems connected to the service of share distribution of heating- restricted opportunity for consumers to change their heating accountant and restriction of competitiveness among the firms for heating book-keeping.

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