The Commission for Consumer Protection (CCP) suspects overpricing of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), CCP Chair Maya Manolova said in a television interview on Sunday. CCP will present the findings of its checks into retail prices of major fuels next week, she said.
Manolova said CCP had immediately launched inspections at 200 petrol stations when fuel prices, particularly diesel, reached the psychological threshold of EUR 2. Consumers needed to know what was driving the high prices, whether fuel retailers were exploiting the crisis, whether the increases were economically justified or whether someone was simply seeking quick profits and trying to “fish in troubled waters”. She recalled that the commission’s powers covered retailers and said the inspected outlets included both stations operated by major national chains and small petrol stations.
The on-site inspections were complete, but retailers had a statutory period of five working days to provide explanations and data, Manolova said. In cases of suspected overpricing, particularly for LPG, the commission was therefore still examining whether objective factors justified the increases or whether they involved abuse.
Preliminary findings showed that petrol stations had actually reduced their mark-ups on petrol and diesel, Manolova said. During the period examined, from the beginning of August to September 23, wholesale prices rose by an average of 15%, while retail prices increased by 10%. Petrol stations’ mark-ups fell by around 40% for diesel and more than 30% for petrol. This meant that fuel was reaching petrol stations at a 15% higher cost, while prices at the pump were 10% higher, she explained.
The situation with LPG was different, Manolova said. Retailers had increased their mark-ups by around 20% on average, and the commission would investigate why, since the increase in mark-ups exceeded the rise in wholesale prices. Retailers might have sought to offset lower mark-ups on petrol and diesel by raising LPG prices, she suggested. She stressed that this had yet to be established and that the pattern was observed at only some petrol stations.
CCP had clear powers to impose penalties for unjustified price increases, Manolova said. These were substantial, at EUR 10,000 for each individual product. She said penalties would be imposed with great care: the aim was not to bankrupt a small petrol station, but Bulgarian consumers must not suffer either.
Manolova said her primary responsibility was to protect Bulgarian consumers, but the commission would not “bludgeon” retailers. With prices soaring both before and after euro adoption, Bulgarians needed protection and someone to challenge sharp increases in the prices of fuel, food and services, including those provided by mobile operators, as well as the overall rise in the cost of living, she said.
Despite income growth in recent years, Bulgarians’ purchasing power remained at 68% of the European average, leaving the country near the bottom both in terms of incomes and what people could afford with them, Manolova said. While fuel prices in Bulgaria were among the lowest in Europe, prices for some categories of staple foods were well above the European average, she added.
Since taking office at CCP, she had received complaints mainly from consumers still alarmed by supermarket prices and Bulgarian producers squeezed by retail chains, Manolova said. Her first two weeks in the job had shown that mark-ups at retail chains exceeded 100%, reaching 130% to 140%, she added, noting that the commission had begun inspections at the chains.
Penalties would follow, and the inspections launched on Friday would examine both unjustified increases in staple food prices and unfair and misleading commercial practices, Manolova said. The checks would also reveal the difference between the prices retailers paid their suppliers, particularly for Bulgarian products, and the prices charged in stores. The inspections would hold up a mirror to the distorted model of food retailing, she added.
CCP was also working with the Economy Minister on a methodology for determining fair prices, Manolova said. This would show by how much retail chains’ prices for staple foods exceeded their fair value.
Manolova said CCP would also turn its attention to the banking sector because of rising fees. “Consumers have no answer to the question of why banks are increasing their fees,” she said. Bulgarian National Bank data show that the banking system recorded a profit of BGN 3.6 billion in 2025, with fee and commission income reaching BGN 2.3 billion and net fee and commission income totalling BGN 1.8 billion. “All of this is paid by consumers, and consumers must be protected,” Manolova said.
Consumer Watchdog Flags Suspected Liquefied Petroleum Gas Overpricing THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-04 17:46:47
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