Pilpani, a member of the political council of the For Georgia party, has raised concerns over the lack of clear criteria in proposed changes to the way natural gas and water tariffs are calculated, questioning whether the changes could lead to higher bills for consumers.
Parliament is fast-tracking amendments to the Law on Energy and Water Supply that would authorize the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC) to set household natural gas and water tariffs according to consumption, potentially requiring higher-consuming users to pay more.
Speaking on TV Program Business Course, Pilpani said neither the bill nor its explanatory note specifies the criteria GNERC would use to differentiate tariffs. She questioned whether the changes would affect only social assistance recipients or whether the regulator would apply individualized assessments, warning that people in mountainous regions and areas without access to gas may consume more electricity during winter simply because they lack alternative heating options.
Pilpani also cited Kazbegi, where natural gas is subsidized because of the region’s mountainous status, asking whether existing benefits would remain in place or residents could face higher bills due to greater consumption. She warned that the new framework could also result in different requirements for businesses operating in mountainous and tourist areas. According to Pilpani, when lawmakers asked whether tariffs would rise or remain unchanged, they were told that GNERC would make that decision, leaving the potential impact unclear.
