Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) has received no official notification from Gazprom about a possible gas price increase, its chairman Mesrop Mesropyan said during a briefing at the National Assembly, Sputnik Armenia reports.
Mesropyan warned that higher natural gas prices could also lead to an increase in electricity tariffs.
According to his calculations, a 30% increase in the price of gas at Armenia’s border, from $174.46 to $226.80 per 1,000 cubic meters, would raise electricity tariffs by an average of 1.4 drams per kilowatt-hour.
A 69% increase, a scenario referenced in an Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) report, would bring the gas price to $294.80 per 1,000 cubic meters and increase electricity tariffs by approximately 3.3 drams per kilowatt-hour.
Mesropyan also addressed the possibility of a complete suspension of gas supplies. In such a scenario, Armenia could be forced to increase water releases from Lake Sevan to maintain hydropower generation and negotiate electricity imports from Georgia or through Georgian territory.
However, he considered such an outcome unlikely, citing Armenia’s expanded solar generation capacity and energy storage infrastructure.
The regulator said gas tariffs were unlikely to increase before March 2027 unless unforeseen circumstances or political developments changed the situation.
He noted that the commission had previously rejected requests from regulated companies to raise tariffs because they lacked sufficient justification.
Mesropyan acknowledged the existing risks but emphasized that no formal steps toward a gas price increase had been taken.
His remarks come amid warnings from Russian officials that Armenia’s continued pursuit of closer ties with the European Union could affect its access to preferential Russian gas prices.
On May 29, the leaders of four EAEU member states — Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan — adopted a statement urging Armenia to clarify its choice between the EAEU and the EU through a referendum.
