Heating bills in Latvia to rise 10–15% this season, in places up to 25%

Latvia's heating season has started, and resident dissatisfaction is rising with it: some flats are too hot, others too cold, and some tenants report mould and damp clothes. According to 360TV Ziņas, heating bills this season will be about 10–15% higher for almost everyone, and in some cases as much as 25%. More than 60 companies supply heat across the country, and conditions can differ sharply between apartment buildings.

Complaints every year

Armīns Kleinbergs, chairman of the board of Ventspils property manager PSIA “Ventspils nekustamie īpašumi”, admits the complaints repeat annually. In his view, everyone perceives cold and warmth differently, so the company tries to find a middle ground, but someone will always be unhappy.

When to switch the heating on

Residents of a building can also agree among themselves on when heating is connected. Juna Konstantinova, a board member of the Rēzekne property manager SIA “Rēzeknes Namsaimnieks”, says that this year residents of one building asked for urgent connection because of the cold, and the company complied, but the building's elder then demanded it be switched off. The first building in Rēzekne was connected as early as 14 September. Konstantinova calls it a misconception that connecting early costs more: she says more energy is later needed to warm buildings chilled by cold nights, so in October one may overpay what could have been saved in September.

In Ikšķile, radiators have been warm in most buildings since early October. Dace Kizino, head of the heating and housing management service at SIA “Ikšķiles Māja”, says this helps preserve the housing stock and prevent mould. Ikšķile is one of the few municipalities where heating will be cheaper this season, because the company earlier signed a one-year gas contract at a fixed price.

Work continues in Riga

In the capital, connection began yesterday and is due to finish tomorrow. System stabilisation work will follow over the next two weeks. Inita Kabanova of AS “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” urges residents to report radiators that stay cold rather than wait for frosts. Anyone whose radiators are not warm enough should contact their building manager; Riga residents can also do so through the “RNP” mobile app.