The Serbian power company (EPS) has submitted to the Energy Agency a proposal for a 6.5 percent electricity price increase, Mining and Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlovic told TV Prva.

Mihajlovic said she expects the procedure to end and the decision to be released by the end of the month and added that the average household electricity bill will go up from 280 to 340 Dinars (1 Euro – 118 Dinars).

The Minster described this price increase as important, because the prices of everything that electricity “is made from” have gone up and added that this is something everyone needs to think about “much more seriously” next year.

Commenting on preparations for the coming winter, Mihajlovic said “we have relatively prepared everything”, which does not mean that problems cannot arise, like, for example, if gas does not arrive even though it is paid for.

“We are importing electricity and gas, we are importing four to 15 percent of electricity daily and we will definitely continue to import it, but if we had not worked well and secured money in the budget, this would not be possible,” Mihajlovic said.

„So, the state has done and will do everything it can,” Mihajlovic promised, noting that, once the crisis is over, public companies will have to be more efficient.