ANRE Approves New Prosumer Rules: Monthly Billing & Offsets — NRG-IA

Romania’s National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) approved on November 10, 2026, a new methodology that substantially alters how the country's prosumers monetize electricity generated and fed into the grid. Key changes include monthly netting, the ability to offset electricity surplus value against bills for other consumption sites, and firm deadlines for settling legacy carried-forward balances. For residential PV system owners, one of the most notable updates is the option to use excess power produced at one property to reduce bills at other locations. For eligible individuals with capacity up to 27 kW, the surplus value can even be directed—in accordance with statutory provisions—toward natural gas bills. The new regulation effectively transforms surplus generation into a more flexible tool for managing household energy expenses. The methodology was unanimously approved by ANRE’s Regulatory Committee, implementing Law No. 160/2026 and entirely replacing ANRE Order No. 15/2022. The order will take effect upon publication in the Official Gazette, while certain netting rules apply to power fed into the grid starting July 26, 2026, including for existing contracts. Home-generated energy can now offset bills for other properties The single most impactful practical change is the introduction of a financial allocation mechanism across multiple consumption sites. Previously, grid feed-in monetization was centered almost entirely around the specific site where the generating unit operated. The new methodology allows the financial value of surplus power remaining after site consumption netting to cover bills at other consumption sites registered under the same prosumer. A homeowner producing electricity at a solar-equipped main residence can now apply the financial value of excess generation to lower the bill of an apartment or another property registered under their name, provided legal criteria are met. A primary prerequisite is that all involved consumption sites must be within the portfolio of the same electricity supplier. Law No. 160/2026 establishes, as a general rule for multi-site netting, that all sites must be connected to the grid of the same distribution system operator (DSO). However, there is a major exception: individuals with systems up to 27 kW can apply their surplus financial value across all owned sites under the same supplier, even when located in areas served by different DSOs. This provision significantly expands the utility of the mechanism for property owners with homes in different municipalities or regions. The mechanism operates via financial allocation rather than physical wheeling or power reservation across grid points. Suppliers calculate the financial value of the surplus based on settlement rules and apply it to reduce eligible payment liabilities. In this manner, the economic benefit of solar generation can be allocated across multiple contracts owned by the same holder. Monthly compensation: What gets netted and what remains as surplus The new framework establishes monthly energy netting for installations under the quantitative compensation mechanism, which applies to prosumers with installed capacities up to 200 kW per generation and consumption site. This rule covers power fed into the grid starting July 26, 2026—the effective date of Law No. 160/2026—and applies retroactively to ongoing contracts. The netted volume represents the lower of the electricity injected into the grid and the electricity consumed from the grid at the same site within the same calendar month. For instance, if a prosumer feeds 700 kWh into the grid and consumes 500 kWh from the grid during a month, the netted volume is 500 kWh, leaving a 200 kWh surplus. This surplus is subsequently monetized according to the rules set out in the methodology. Quantitative compensation covers active energy and its underlying commodity price. Distribution tariffs, transmission fees, system services, and other regulatory or fiscal billing components are treated separately. Consequently, the financial value of injected energy and the total cost of purchased energy may differ, even when the underlying volumetric quantities are identical. The law mandates suppliers to display these relevant components distinctly on invoices to ensure full calculation transparency. For systems in the 200–400 kW range, the methodology enforces financial settlement. Injected electricity is monetized at the weighted average price of the Day-Ahead Market (DAM/PZU) for the month of generation. National market operator OPCOM will publish monthly reference prices in a reusable electronic format to facilitate settlement audits. Surplus can cover natural gas bills for eligible residential prosumers The regulatory framework provides an additional incentive for individual prosumers operating renewable installations with capacities up to 27 kW per site. They can opt to use the net financial credit derived from electricity generation to pay off…