Heating, hot water and electricity prices for households will not be raised from the New Year, Ivan Ivanov, chairman of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission in Bulgaria, said after a meeting of the regulator. The main reasons for this are the mild winter and the sharp fall in the price of natural gas on the Dutch gas exchange, he added. 

The natural gas price for January will be significantly lower than the 104.57 euro/MWh price offered earlier by Bulgaria's state gas company Bulgargaz, the company's CEO Denitsa Zlateva said. The final proposal of Bulgargaz is to set the price at 95 euro. The natural gas price will be announced at a closed meeting of the regulator on January 1 at 3 p.m., Ivanov said.