It is sealed/finalized. URSO issued a new decree, regulated electricity prices will jump in 2026

Instead of the current 61 EUR/MWh, it will be 104 EUR/MWh in 2026 under the new rules. This is how the resulting effect of the surprising amendment to the decree of the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (ÚRSO) on regulated electricity supply prices could be summarized.

The regulator's new regulation was approved by the Economic and Social Council at the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic on Monday (November 24). Today (November 27), the amended Decree No. 154/2024 Coll. on price regulation in the electricity sector was published in the Collection of Laws and immediately entered into force.

According to the amended wording of the decree, ÚRSO should now issue new price decisions for electricity suppliers. However, suppliers expect that the steeply increased electricity prices will only be applied to a smaller proportion of households, and the government will "cover" the rest with energy assistance.

However, if the government wants to enforce stable energy prices, meaning their re-freezing for 2026 as well, in addition to subsidies for gas and heat, it will have to look for funds in the state budget to subsidize electricity.

According to the agreement with Slovenské elektrárne, discounted electricity supplies should continue at a price of 72.70 EUR/MWh instead of the current 61 EUR/MWh. The "freezing" of prices at the current level, which the government promises for 90% of households, would thus have to be covered by the state budget. Otherwise, only gas and heat prices will remain unchanged, while electricity will become more expensive for households.

What the Decree is About

As we reported in a major article on Energie-portal.sk last week, the regulator introduces two key changes in the new decree.

The first is the increase of the fixed electricity price from 61 EUR/MWh to 72.70 EUR/MWh, which is based on the memorandum with Slovenské elektrárne. However, the second change is the introduction of a coefficient of 1.429719, by which this price is to be multiplied.

The resulting price for electricity supply is thus around 104 EUR/MWh. Distribution fees and other regulated tariffs, which ÚRSO will decide on in subsequent price proceedings, will be added to the commodity price.

What is Being Waited For

However, a question mark still hangs over next year's electricity prices for households. One unresolved matter is how the government will intervene in the price setting. The second unanswered question is how the European Commission will view the continuation of discounted supplies for households. Its final position is still not known.

On the other hand, Slovenské elektrárne reports that they are ready to continue supplying discounted electricity. Under clearly defined conditions.

"Slovenské elektrárne are prepared to provide electricity at a discounted rate for Slovak households in 2026 as well, according to the memorandum adopted between SE, SE shareholders and the Government of the Slovak Republic, and in accordance with EU legislation, which means that this aid for households must be targeted," said Marek Mikle, Communications Manager of Slovenské elektrárne, for Energie-portal.sk.

The memorandum was not followed in the current year, 2025. Although it predicted that the commodity price would rise to 66.70 EUR/MWh, the government determined the price at a flat 61 EUR/MWh through a general economic interest (VHZ) at the end of last year, and the procedure was subsequently covered by an implementing agreement in February 2025.

If the government wants to freeze electricity prices, following the example of gas and heat, meaning keeping the final price unchanged compared to 2025, it has no other option than to also subsidize electricity from the state budget. The cards may also be shuffled by further price proceedings by ÚRSO against distribution companies, SEPS, and OKTE, in which the other regulated items included in the final price will be clarified.

Suppliers Await the Government

"We perceive that the amendment is a response to the situation for 2026, but we are of the opinion that a more conceptual solution should come for the following years, and much sooner than at the time of issuing price decisions," said Juraj Marček, Chairman of the Association of Energy Suppliers (ZDE), whose members include several players such as Stredoslovenská energetika (SSE), Magna Energia, Greenlogy, and Elgas, for Energie-portal.sk.

According to the head of the supplier association, the ÚRSO decree amendment should not affect the majority of households at all, "as the provision of energy assistance is expected." On the other hand, households excluded from energy assistance will see higher prices on their invoices from suppliers resulting from ÚRSO's steps.

"Those customers who, for some reason, are not entitled to energy assistance will have regulated prices at the same level as other vulnerable customers outside households currently have," concluded J. Marček.

Complication may also arise from the price decisions already issued. ÚRSO started issuing them to the first energy suppliers as early as October. And they were based on the previous, now invalid, wording of the decree.

Source: www.energie-portal.sk