Energy poverty, monopoly on gas supplies threaten Bulgaria

Energy poverty and limited access to gas supplies are two main risks to Bulgaria's energy security, according to a report presented here on Wednesday. The report "Index of Risks to Energy Security in Bulgaria," prepared by the Center for the Study of Democracy, said the average Bulgarian households have been spending more and more of its income on energy resources. In 2012, 14.4 percent of household income was spent on energy, compared to 10.3 percent in 1999, the report said. Heavy dependence on Russia for gas supplies through a single pipeline was another risk for the Balkan country, the report said. "The main directions in this regard should be aimed at the construction of regional gas interconnectors and reverse links with neighboring countries, where unfortunately the progress is limited or frozen," Martin Tsanov, an analyst at the center, told reporters.