Subsidising electricity and natural gas bills may cost the Lithuanian government between 500 million and a billion euros next year, according to Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
“No doubt, the government will limit that price hike, as it has done since July 1,” she told LRT RADIO on Tuesday.
“Next year’s budget is now being drafted and, depending on different assumptions, between 0.5 billion and 1 billion euros might be required for that purpose.”
The government sees keeping energy prices under control as a top priority for next year’s budget, according to the prime minister.
“As we observe the situation, we see that the main […] problem that needs to be tackled at the moment is to contain the upsurge in energy prices next year, and the government is currently working on proposals for that, and this will be the key priority in next year’s budget,” she said.
So far this year, the government has allocated 570 million euros to subsidise electricity and natural gas bills for households and businesses in the second half of 2022.
Around 370 million euros went to cover the debt of Ignitis, the public supplier, and about 200 million euros were allocated to natural gas and electricity suppliers, including 165 million euros to electricity suppliers alone.
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