On Thursday, Vilnius’ authorities will turn on central heating in the Lithuanian capital. Meanwhile, heating prices might jump by up to 60 percent this year, but residents will be allowed to partially postpone payments until the summer, the municipality said.
The predicted price jump is due to rising fuel prices. Vilnius uses natural gas for heating, while other major Lithuanian cities rely on cheaper biofuels, leading to a smaller increase in central heating costs.
“Last year, we enjoyed record low heating prices because gas was cheaper. We are facing an opposite situation this year,” Valdas Benkunskas, vice mayor of Vilnius said in a press conference on Wednesday.
According to Benkunskas, Vilnius residents will pay the full price for heating consumed in October. As of November, they could choose a fixed price increase of up to 35 percent compared to last year’s monthly costs.
“We will offer residents to pay the rest of the price in summer when people are only paying for hot water,” the vice mayor said.
A share of Vilnius residents at the lowest income bracket are also entitled to full reimbursement of heating costs, Benkunskas added. According to him, the municipality spent around 2.5 million euros on compensations in 2020. This year, the sum might be closer to 6 million euros.
Read more: Amid spiking costs, Lithuania to cap heating, electricity prices for consumers
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