Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu told reporters this, noting that natural gas prices on the European exchange continue to rise due to the regional situation, and have already exceeded 83 euros per megawatt, which is approximately $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters. The rise in gas prices is driven by several factors, including the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, competition for liquefied natural gas between European and Asian markets, and the still-low fill levels of underground storage facilities in Europe. All these factors are contributing to persistently high natural gas prices. As the Minister of Energy noted, the continuation of this market volatility makes the need for a new tariff adjustment by the National Agency for Energy Regulation increasingly apparent. He recalled that from August through October, the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NARE) approved an average purchase price of approximately 54 euros per megawatt in the current tariff. In early September, Energocom published the average gas purchase price for August, and in early October, it will also present the average purchase price for September. At that point, it will become clearer how much the tariff might change. "In October, once we have the price, it will also become clear what tariff deviations have accumulated from August through September. The situation will then be clear. Therefore, at this point, we cannot say how much the tariff will change. Yes, such an adjustment is highly likely, based on global and European gas prices; however, we will only be certain once the average purchase price for September is known. "If the price remains at the current level—above 80 euros per megawatt—negative tariff deviations will, of course, accumulate," the energy minister emphasized. As previously reported, the natural gas rate for residential consumers in Moldova was last raised on August 21 of this year by 40.7%—from 13.35 to 18.79 lei per cubic meter excluding VAT (from 14.42 to 20.3 lei including 8% VAT). The new rate took effect on September 1, 2026 // 16.09.2026 — InfoMarket.