There is a very high risk that the liberalized market will turn into a market of smart suppliers, who will benefit indirectly from market liberalization, taking advantage of the lack of information at the consumer level, benefiting from the financial effects that such a market would bring, claims the president of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI), Dumitru Chisalita.
„Without trust, informed consumers, encouraged to intervene, supported to negotiate, able to analyze various offers, determined to act responsibly, prudently and without being coerced, the liberalized market will be nothing but another disappointment for the Romanian people,” said Dumitru Chisalita, quoted in a press release from the AEI.
According to him, the natural tendency of companies is to impose a monopoly in order to secure their profit.
„Gathering information about the market, customer, competition, etc. means spending time and money for the seller, the meeting between the seller and the buyer implies personnel, time, information centres, money and the most „dangerous thing for a seller,” which is infidelity. No company wants to take these risks, but most of them want a monopoly. The general and specific regulations prohibit the establishment of such monopolies (with the exception of the natural ones), but the trend exists permanently in the market. The liberalization of the gas market implies the elimination of the monopolistic position of the companies operating in this field, eliminating the possibility of influencing the price of gas on the market by means of rules, but it also requires adequate information at the consumer level. As long as consumers do not acquire specific minimum knowledge that allows an appropriate appreciation of the purchased gas, they will remain „captives” in the liberalized market,” added Dumitru Chisalita.
„The messages that the EU does not oblige us to do anything, or that it obliges us to eliminate the capping of gas and electricity prices, are equally false. The Commission’s requirement refers exclusively to the wholesale market, without a concrete request regarding how to cap the price to the final consumer. There may be a free wholesale market (as the Commission demands) and a capped price to the final consumer with the current Romanian legislation. That such a scheme is not in favour of the poor Romanian is another matter further specified in the press release.
„The lack of information and misinformation of the consumer was the basis for the emergence of the so-called „Smart Energy Guys.” Since the imperfection of information is widespread, it is certain that buyers will make mistakes. One of them is to purchase gas based on the idea of continuity and tradition,” said Chisalita.
AGERPRES
