The free electricity market is more expensive than the regulated one

The average electricity price for domestic consumers in the free market has remained higher than in the regulated market since mid-2023, although the gap has narrowed in 2025. According to ERSE's report, regulated tariffs have consistently been lower than free market prices. The price difference peaked in Q3 2024 but began to decrease in 2025 due to falling free market prices. Despite higher average prices in the free market, ERSE found cheaper commercial offers than regulated tariffs in all 2025 quarters, indicating many consumers are stuck with older, pricier contracts. The report highlights significant price volatility over the past five years, with a notable decline in electricity prices in late 2025. Additionally, 98% of electricity sold in the free market to domestic clients was under fixed-price contracts, while large clients predominantly used market-indexed contracts. ERSE noted that domestic clients were slower to respond to price changes, both upward and downward, compared…