site.btaEnergy Committee Chair Dobrev: State Should First Protect Energy Poor Citizens

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy Delyan Dobrev said Thursday during a discussion on the topic of energy poverty and prices, organized by the Delegation of Bulgarian Socialists in the European Parliament (EP), that the energy poor in Bulgaria account for the largest share compared to the entire European Union and the state should take care of them first in the current situation. 

According to Dobrev, building more electricity generators would help in the fight against energy poverty, because the more electricity available on the market, the lower its price. 

He pointed out that investments in energy efficiency are very important because the cheapest electricity is the one saved. Investments in energy efficiency pay back the money most quickly; they also create new jobs, he added. 

During the discussion, Dr Teodora Peneva from the Institute of Economic Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences announced that nearly 1.6 million Bulgarians live below the poverty line.