The moratorium on electricity, heating and water prices is illegal and their sharp rise could have been prevented if the government temporarily reduced VAT on energy by up to 10%. This was what the chairman of the energy regulator Ivan Ivanov has told BNT. With a reduction in VAT electricity would have risen by 1% instead of 11% and heating - by 3%, instead of 13%.

Ivanov has sent a signal to the European Commission and expects a reaction to the moratorium. He dismissed accusations that the rise in prices in recent months was politically motivated. The regulator expects a sharp rise in prices after the moratorium is lifted.