The Romanian government has prolonged the price cap on natural gas for households until April 2027.

Romania's government has implemented an emergency decree to extend the price cap on natural gas for household customers from April 2026 to April 2027.

Energy minister Bogdan Ivan announced at a government press conference that the price for household natural gas will remain limited to 0.31 lei ($0.07/0.06 euro) per kilowatt-hour after April 1, regardless of international price changes. He noted that global natural gas prices have surged nearly 70% in the last five days.

Ivan also mentioned that the government is considering measures to shield companies from rising gas prices post-March 31.

The price scheme for households and companies was initially introduced in 2022, covering the period from January 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025, for both electricity and gas. This scheme was later extended to June 30, 2025, for electricity and to March 31, 2026, for natural gas.

During the same press conference, Prime Minister Bolojan explained that the decision to prolong the price cap was influenced by three main factors. Firstly, Romania is set to nearly double its gas supply capacity next year, achieving greater independence. He stated that the optimal time for market liberalization without causing price shocks is when supply is adequate, highlighting that currently two-thirds of gas consumption comes from domestic production and one-third from imports.

The second factor pertains to economic and social stability, as one of the government's objectives is reducing inflation. The third factor involves the ongoing tensions in the Gulf region due to the escalation of the U.S.-Israeli and Iran conflict, which could disrupt global oil and gas supply chains and impact international prices, Bolojan added.

On Wednesday, Minister Ivan indicated that the government is evaluating the possibility of lowering fuel excise taxes to keep petrol and diesel prices below the psychological threshold of 10 lei per liter, in light of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. This consideration follows requests from Romanian transport companies to cut excise taxes on fuels by half.