Who participates in Bulgaria’s free electricity market?

Electricity producer — generates electricity from renewable or conventional sources and sells it on the power exchange or to electricity traders and final customers.

Balancing group coordinator — a company that holds the relevant licence and is entered in the Electricity System Operator’s register of balancing group coordinators. It is responsible for balancing the sites of market participants in its group.

Electricity supplier or trader — a licensed company that purchases electricity from producers, on an organised power exchange or from other traders, and supplies customers at freely negotiated prices.

Electricity System Operator (ESO EAD) — the licensed company that operates the electricity system and the transmission network. It manages the system centrally and oversees and coordinates the organisation of the electricity market.

Distribution system operator — a licensed company that distributes electricity and maintains, develops and operates the distribution network in a defined area. It also administers the process of switching suppliers.

Supplier of last resort — a licensed company that supplies electricity when a customer on the free market is left without a supplier or the trader is unable to supply electricity.

Power exchange operator — organises the electricity exchange, administers transactions on it and acts as a party to those transactions. Bulgaria’s licensed power exchange operator is Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange EAD.

Final customer (consumer) — a household or business (non-household) customer who has contracted with an electricity trader of their choice for supply at freely negotiated prices.