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Yes, the state will also pay energy compensation in winter 2026–2027. Registration for the “Aid at the Meter” programme began on 2 November 2026, at compensatii.gov.md. The monthly compensation is at least 500 lei and no more than 1,000 lei, depending on income, household composition and heating source. To receive the money for November as well, submit your application by 27 November inclusive. You must apply again, even if you received compensation last winter.
The information below was announced on 2 November 2026 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) when the programme was launched, and reported by the state news agency Moldpres. The legal basis is the Regulation approved by Government Decision No. 816/2024 and Decision No. 817/2024 on the calculation formulas. Between 29 September and 13 October, the ministry published for consultation a draft amendment to these rules for the 2026–2027 season. The final text of the amendments had not yet been found published at the time of verification, so the technical details may be adjusted.
Who is NOT eligible for compensation
Before the actual calculation, the system applies five filters. If a household meets at least one of them, its application is rejected. According to Minister Natalia Plugaru, the only entirely new criterion concerns cars. The others were in place last year, but some thresholds have been lowered.
Property: the combined cadastral value of the real estate (or shares in it) owned by household members exceeds 1 million lei. Last winter, the threshold was 2.5 million lei. The cadastral value before the 2026 reassessment is taken into account, including for homes bought with a mortgage. According to the authorities, around 89% of properties fall below the threshold.
Cars: a household member owns a car that is no more than three years old. This criterion is new this season.
Dividends: combined dividend income of at least 150,000 lei in 2025. Last year, the threshold was 300,000 lei.
Bank interest: more than 4,000 lei received in 2025.
Consumption: the average monthly heating costs during the previous season were equal to or greater than the cost of 350 cubic metres of natural gas.
Households that pass the filters are assessed through the Energy Vulnerability Information System. It cross-references data from the State Tax Service, the National Social Insurance House, the Public Services Agency, energy suppliers, banks, universities and the Disability Determination Council. Income, the number and status of household members, heating source and energy costs are taken into account. The minister said that having a person with a disability in the family remains a priority criterion. According to NewsMaker, the regulation also requires household members to have lived in Moldova for at least three of the past eight months; this is checked using Border Police data.
How much you can get, by heating source
Natural gas: between 500 and 1,000 lei per month (the cap is the same as last winter).
District heating (thermal energy): between 500 and 1,000 lei per month (the same as last winter).
Electricity: between 500 and 800 lei per month. The cap has fallen from 1,000 lei.
Solid fuel (wood, coal): between 500 and 800 lei per month.
You cannot calculate the exact amount yourself. The system determines it for each household, and you can see it in your account on the platform or ask your social worker. For comparison, in the 2025–2026 season, the average monthly compensation was 751 lei, and the programme reached around 620,000 households. For this winter, the ministry estimates that 660,000–670,000 households will benefit, with a budget of 2.6–2.7 billion lei.
What to prepare before applying
The first and last names and IDNPs of all household members who actually live at the address.
Each member’s monthly income from April to September 2026: salaries, pensions, allowances, social benefits (including those from other countries), dividends, business income and money received from abroad.
Energy bills: the suppliers and contract or personal account numbers for gas, electricity and heating.
If you have a mortgage: the amount of your latest instalment and the cadastral number of your home.
If you want the money paid into an account: the IBAN of a leu account in your name.
The following are not counted as income: the one-off child birth allowance, death assistance, payments for natural disasters, and allowances for care, accompaniment and supervision.
How to apply online, step by step
Go to compensatii.gov.md and sign in or create an account. An adult member of the household must submit the application.
Initial check: the platform asks whether you meet the programme’s conditions.
Applicant details: name, IDNP, telephone number, email address and income for each month from April to September 2026.
Home: address, whether you are an owner or tenant (tenants can also apply), and any mortgage. Select one main heating source and enter the suppliers.
Payment method: post office, social card or bank account (IBAN).
Residents: add all other household members, with their IDNPs and monthly income, and confirm that the list is complete.
Submission: accept the terms, consent to the use of your data and undertake to repay any money received in error, then click “Submit”. A confirmation will appear on the screen.
When you must apply with a social worker
In four situations, you cannot submit the application online yourself. Contact your local social worker or a CUPS specialist if:
you heat your home with solid fuel and have not received cash compensation in the past two cold seasons;
the applicant does not have an IDNP and has a temporary identity card;
several households use the same meter (a social assessment is also carried out in this case);
the home is not connected to the electricity grid (a social assessment is also carried out in this case).
More than 1,300 social workers have been trained to help with registration, according to the ministry. The minister urged people not to rush during the first few days: all applications submitted by the deadline will be assessed, regardless of the date they were registered.
Deadlines and payments
2–27 November 2026: applications for November compensation.
Mid-December: the assessment result and amount will appear in the account on the platform; the first payments, for November, are also planned.
December 2026–March 2027: applications can be submitted between the 1st and the 25th of each month; compensation is granted starting from the month of application, with no payment for previous months.
If you find an error in your application after the compensation has been calculated, you can correct it, but the amount will not be recalculated for previous months. So check the information before clicking “Submit”.
Protection against disconnection
Beneficiary households cannot have their utility services disconnected from November to March, provided they pay at least 50% of the current bill. Disconnections scheduled for maintenance work are a separate matter: you can find those announced by operators in the Disconnections service on COMUNICA.MD, listed by locality.
Beware of scams
Registration is free. The ministry warns that the authorities do not ask for personal or banking details by telephone, SMS or email, and do not send links. Last winter, websites imitating the official platform circulated online. The correct address is compensatii.gov.md. Ask to see the ID of the social worker helping you. For questions, call the toll-free helpline on 0 8000 5000 (Monday to Friday, 08:00–18:00) or email suport@compensatii.gov.md.
What is not yet known
The number and final text of the Government decision amending Government Decisions No. 816/2024 and No. 817/2024 for this season; the ministry announced the rules before the act had been found published.
Funding for January–March 2027: the 2026 budget includes around 500–550 million lei for November. The rest is being discussed with donors, and the Government says it will cover the full cost from the budget if necessary.
The information was verified on 2 November 2026. This article is for informational purposes and does not replace the official regulation or consultation with a social worker.
Sources
Sources
- Moldpres — A început înregistrarea pentru compensațiile la energie, sezonul rece 2026–2027 (02.11.2026)
- PNUD Moldova — PNUD continuă să sprijine MMPS în implementarea programului „Ajutor la contor” pentru sezonul rece 2026–2027 (02.11.2026)
- Particip.gov.md / MMPS — Proiectul HG de modificare a HG nr. 816/2024 și 817/2024 (compensații 2026–2027), consultare 29.09–13.10.2026
- Guvernul Republicii Moldova — HG de modificare a HG nr. 817/2024 (plafon 1.000 lei, februarie–martie 2026), număr unic 246/MMPS/2026
- Moldpres — Government seeks external support for energy compensation in winter 2026–2027
- TV8 — Încep înscrierile pe compensatii.gov.md: cine poate beneficia de ajutor la contor în sezonul rece 2026–2027 (02.11.2026)
- NewsMaker — Compensații la energie în sezonul 2026–2027: cine le poate primi și cum depui cererea online. Ghid (02.11.2026)
- IPN — Au început înscrierile pentru compensațiile la energie (02.11.2026)
- Platforma „Ajutor la contor” — compensatii.gov.md
Written with AI assistance from the official sources above and checked by the editors.
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