On April 2, 2025, a protest against rising electricity prices in Kosovo ended with the arrest of several individuals in front of the offices of the Energy Regulatory Office (ZRRE) in Prishtina. The protestors, activists opposed to the proposed 15% price hike, blocked the ZRRE office, demanding that the increase be halted, reports RFE.
Details of Arrests: The Kosovo Police arrested protestors, but the exact reasons for the arrests and the number of people detained remain unclear. Attempts by Radio Evropa e Lirë to get further details from the police were not successful.
ZRRE’s Price Increase Proposal: The ZRRE has warned that electricity bills could rise 15% starting in April 2025, citing factors like lower energy production and increased dependency on imports. For consumers who use up to 800 kWh per month, the price increase would raise the daytime rate from 7.79 cents per kWh to 8.96 cents per kWh.
Protesters’ Demand: The protest group, identified as “KEDS t’i kthehet Kosovës”, vowed to continue their blockade until the ZRRE publicly committed to rejecting the price hike.
Energy Shortages in Kosovo: Kosovo faces significant energy shortages due to aging power plants like Kosova A and Kosova B, and it relies heavily on expensive energy imports. The ZRRE stated that the price hike was necessary due to increased consumption and the higher cost of energy imports.
The decision regarding the price hike is expected by April 11, with potential retroactive implementation of the new rates from April 1 or May 1, 2025.
