When is the current expected to be expensive for Kosovars?

Currently across Europe, energy bills are very high due to the global increase in electricity and gas consumption.

In addition to the seasonal increase in demand for electricity leading to price hikes, they have now increased due to small gas storage reserves and high prices for producing energy from coal in European Union countries.

By the end of October, in Kosovo the entire electricity production has been covered inside the country and there has been no need for import of electricity.

Thus, the price of electricity in Kosovo is not affected by the price of electricity in Europe.

However, the Kosovar Power Distributive Company (KEDS) on November 5th has warned that there is a 21 per cent increase in electricity consumption, causing the electricity to be severely needed.

Victor Buzhala, ECDS spokesman, tells Radio Free Europe that if consumption continues to be high during the winter months, the price hike is inevitable.

The “will certainly translate prices into rising prices. We are talking at fivefold prices (of import) compared to last year”, he says.

According to KEDS's announcement, in time of peak, electricity consumption in Kosovo is reaching up to 935 megawatts from 788 megawatts as it was last year.

This means that nearly 200 megawatts/hour electricity should be imported at maximum consumption time. And import prices are currently in the sky, being bought from more than 250 euros for megawatts/hours, so about fivefold more than last year”, the ECDS report said.

Although the increase in the price of electricity is considered inevitable, citizens in Kosovo are not expected to notice expensive bills until at least spring 2022.

The Kosovo Energy Regulatory Office (ZRRE) tells Radio Free Europe that the next “, the next tariphorus, starts in April of next year, and that the prices of that period remain to be assessed during the upcoming review of tarifor”.

Citizens are required efficiency in the use of electricity

The supply of electricity in Kosovo is estimated to have economic consequences for businesses and citizens.

Berat Rukiqi from Kosovo's Economic Oda says the economic consequences of the high electricity price could go beyond companies that are directly dependent on the cost of electricity.

“Always small countries find it harder to afford because they have less resources and the possibility of coping with such crises”, Rukiqi says.

He says they have proposed that the government help businesses, especially producers, pass a winter with high electricity bills.

The state in this case has the main obligation in relation to citizens, but normally, neither should businesses be left on the side either. For example, in the case of producers, we have proposed an industrial fee”, Rukiqi says.

On the other hand, to overcome the energy crisis, from KEDS as well as the Government of Kosovo has called for citizens to reduce electricity consumption.

The KEDS communiqué on November 5th is said to be taking place because of the warming of electricity consumers. They have appealed alternative forms to use where possible.

Even by the government, it has been called for “as that electricity not used for heating during the winter”.

Citizens and experts, however, have indicated that there are not many alternatives to heating right now in Kosovo, in order to avoid electricity heating.

The request for assistance towards the government has been submitted by “Ferronikelit”, as well as recommendations has been made by the Kosovo Economic Oda.

On 11 October, the Government of Kosovo for Radio Free Europe declared that “currently does not need such measures, but we are active in case there is a future need for”.

So far, the executive has not warned any measures regarding the eventual energy crisis in Kosovo.

Balkans in Crisis

The energy crisis in Europe has also affected Western Balkan countries.

Among the first countries to declare an energy crisis was Albania.

On October 8th, Albania's prime minister, Edi Rama, in a statement to the media following the government's extraordinary meeting, said the emergency announcement of electricity supply gives the government the opportunity to intervene with financial and administrative instruments.

According to Balkanenergynews, the government of Serbia on November 4th has ordered the state power distribution company to freeze prices for businesses by the end of November in order to protect the economy from rising the electricity price.

Meanwhile, on November 9th, North Macedonia also declared an energy crisis, which was said to last 30 days.

The coal power plant near the monastery city of northern Macedonia.

The Western Balkan countries produce over 60 percent of the energy from coal.

The dependence Europe generally has on coals and fuels for electricity production is contributing to the energy crisis.

So says Tim Gore, of the Institute for European Environmental Policy, who says European governments should think of a 100 percent transition in renewable energy.

The one thing that has shown this crisis is that the EU is still very dependent on foreign gas sources for its energy system. This addiction is a problem, it's a weakness for the European economy. So it needs to accelerate the transition to renewable energy 100 percent. That would be the best way to protect the EU economy from instability in gas markets”, Gore says.

Gore says the worst could happen in the coming months and that for Europe it would be “a difficult winter”.