Georgia's Parliament is fast-tracking amendments that would let the energy and water regulator set household gas and water tariffs according to consumption, according to Georgia Today.
According to Georgia Today, Georgia's Parliament is fast-tracking amendments to the Law on Energy and Water Supply. The changes would allow the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC) to introduce tiered household tariffs during a transitional period: basic consumption would be charged at a relatively lower rate, while higher consumption could be subject to different rates. For natural gas, the commission would be able to set differentiated household tariffs based on consumption through January 1, 2038. For water supply and wastewater services, the same mechanism would apply through January 1, 2036. The bill also extends the commission's authority to distribute the costs of water and wastewater services among different consumer categories in different proportions; the existing transitional provision was due to expire on January 1, 2027, and the amendments would extend it to January 1, 2036. The different deadlines reflect the tariff regulation cycles: three years for water and five years for natural gas. The explanatory note says the aim is to protect household consumers, including vulnerable groups, maintain access to essential services and reduce social risks by introducing tariff changes gradually. It adds that the basic principles of tariff regulation remain unchanged. Parliament is using an expedited procedure because the regulator is expected to set new gas and water tariffs by the end of this year, and the new tiered tariffs will be determined by GNERC. Under the current rules, water tariffs differ between metered and unmetered consumers. The bill is still under consideration, and the specific tariff levels have not been announced in the source material.