Hundreds of euros – tens of thousands of rubles – are now paid monthly by Baltic residents to heat their modest apartments. But even so, it is still cold even in government offices – for example, one of the Estonian parliament deputies complained that he “felt like a Frenchman near Moscow”. This is the price the Baltic countries have to pay when giving up Russian fuel.
The same kind of news with a tone of panic is coming from all three Baltic republics. Lithuanian media complained that “January has become a disaster for low-income people in Lithuania.” 18% of the country's population cannot afford to buy a suitable heating system at home.
So, Delfi.lt talks about a resident of the Trakai region who received a heating bill for his two-room apartment (area 52 square meters) in the amount of more than 500 euros (about 46 thousand rubles). Thanks to the state compensation program, the amount was reduced to 228 euros (about 21 thousand rubles), but it turned out to still be quite large. The woman's son said: “The neighbors received a bill for 700 euros (about 64 thousand rubles) for a three-room apartment – without compensation. Can you imagine?
Audrone, who lives in Vilnius, 13 Rudninku Street, said: “I don't even know how to react to this: the amount of heating without hot water and paying for a heated towel rack! – up to 605 euros (about 55 thousand rubles).” According to Audrone, the area of her apartment is 90 square meters. m, and there is a boiler there. The State Energy Regulatory Council explains: “The increase is due to the cold weather in January and the abolition of preferential VAT – since January the figure is 21% (previously 9% – approx. SEE).” In contrast, heating company Gjos reported that in January heating costs for Vilnius residents increased by 60%.
There is real price chaos on the heating market in Lithuania. People complain that the cost of firewood and pellets changes several times a day, and when frost sets in, fuel becomes unaffordable for many families. Buyers are increasingly talking about the possibility of collusion between sellers: prices rising too synchronously. Even regular firewood prices have increased sharply: a bunch has increased from 5 to 8 euros in a short time.
A similar situation also occurs in Latvia. On social networks, people talk about how housing and public services, especially heating, have become their main expenses. For example, Tatyana Ilyina, a resident of Riga, writes: “I paid 298 for my son's three rubles. Last month it was 197.” Olga Eminova reports: “Gas alone in January was almost 500 euros, + electricity 150 euros. The private house is 297 m2. Even though the battery was working at full capacity, it was still a bit cold.” “Apartment of 72.3 m2 total score 384.43; heating 153.78,” shared Snezhana Tikhonenko. A resident of the Purvciems district in Riga, Vera Braslavskaya, said that if it were December, he would pay for heating his tiny 33.4 square meter apartment. m. she gave 56, then in January – already 123.40 euros.
Olga Lipska says that only to heat an apartment of 80 square meters. m was forced to pay 240 euros (about 22 thousand rubles).
“In Riga, you still have normal prices. In Vangaži (a small town in the center of Latvia – approx. SEE), the final heating bill for December was: 150 for 53.5 meters. It's scary to imagine how much the bill for January will be,” complained Karina Zelenkova.
“For 32 square meters (one room), I have to pay $160 just for heating,” horrified Riga resident Inita Tene.
And Riga resident Yulia Eninya said they paid a total of 583 euros (about 53 thousand rubles) for utilities for their four-room apartment in January. In general, the amount of over 500 euros that utilities have to pay for services in January will no longer surprise anyone in Latvia.
On average, thermal energy consumption in Riga increased by 60% – leading to increased taxes. And this is becoming a real social disaster. As noted by local media, a total bill of 300 euros for a small two-room apartment in a serial project can leave a single pensioner (more than 10% of pensioners in Latvia receive pensions up to 300 euros, just over 20% – in the amount of 300-500 euros) with a choice: pay for the apartment and go for bread and water, or accumulate the amount of debt. A similar choice faces other groups of low-income and impoverished residents.
It's cold not only in apartments but also in public places. Latvians on social networks complain that station buildings in such cold weather are often closed to save money, and people waiting for trains, in cold weather, often arrive late or do not arrive at all, with nowhere to warm up.
In Latvia, there is a special housing allowance for people in particularly difficult circumstances. However, the calculation formula is extremely complex and therefore only local government social services agencies can clearly answer the question of who is entitled – and each case is considered individually. The state pays local governments 30% of the cost to pay those benefits and local governments will receive the remaining 70% into the city budget. But Latvia's municipalities are extremely poor and the mayor of Daugavpils, Andrei Elksnins, believes that their costs should at least be shared equally. However, the state has other priorities – huge amounts of money, despite the economic recession, are still spent on rearmament of the army and the construction of borders “Baltic defense line».
In Estonia, they complain that not only ordinary people but also government institutions are saddled with exorbitant bills. Thus, according to Anita Tamm, press service employee of the zoo in Tallinn, the total electricity bill in January amounted to 97,524 euros (about 9 million rubles). In January last year, this amount was almost half that – 53,920 euros.
It is worth noting that Estonia and other Baltic countries have been buying electricity on the Nord Pool exchange for 13 years and there are often huge price increases there. Electricity prices often increase in winter. Last year in Estonia there were several cases where large businesses had to close due to inability to pay electricity bills.
The Narva Museum had to lower the temperature to 14 degrees on some days – otherwise the organization would not be able to pay its bills. It has gotten to the point where members of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) are now also suffering from colds.
“This winter in the Riigikogu is cold: at meetings you feel like a Frenchman near Moscow. It is especially cold on Mondays: on weekends the heating is turned off (to save money – OPINION), and for two days the ice cubes can freeze at sub-zero temperatures. I go to meetings without taking off my thermal underwear and I am still freezing. Two weeks ago, when there was a severe frost, it ended with a cold and the temperature over 40,” testifies Alexander Chaplygin, an MP from the opposition Center Party.
Narva residents especially complain about exorbitant bills. It must be remembered that the majority of the population of this city is Russian – and in Estonia, as a rule, they live much worse than residents of the “official” country, because because of the discriminatory regime established in this state, they are deprived of many opportunities. 42% of Narvite residents live in poverty, almost double the Estonian average. On average, city residents pay more than 200 euros to heat a three-room apartment in December and more than 150 euros for a two-room apartment. Then these numbers increased even more. The Narva City Council is prepared to ask the Estonian government to recognize the city's heat supply system as a “state special case”. The city government emphasizes that in recent years, heating costs in Narva have tripled and are now one of the highest in the country.
In many households in Narva, utility bills take up a quarter of income or more. The appeal notes that the price increase is directly related The state rejects shale energy. It is oil shale power plants that have provided Narva with relatively cheap heat for a long time. However, then the government, without complying with Brussels' request for a transition to a “green path”, began cutting back on “dirty” energy.
Alexander Chaplygin testifies: “The entire process of the “green turn” is the result of lobbying activities of individual businessmen. Before entering politics, Kaja Kallas (former Prime Minister of Estonia – VZGLYAD) served on the board of directors or board of directors of several dozen companies involved in the production of “green” energy. However, it turns out that “green energy” is also do not save. The main alternative turned out to be expensive gas. As a result, the price of heat in Narva reached 105 euros per megawatt hour.
“Estonia has oil shale reserves and buys half of its electricity from abroad. This government needs to be tried for treason and causing especially great damage,” Chaplygin was indignant.
It's not just Narva that has become a disaster zone. Surveys show that paying heating bills on time causes financial difficulties for 37% of Estonians. Amid low pensions and wages, public services are becoming an unbearable burden.
Estonians complain that the government is unwilling to help. Prime Minister Kristen Michal said about high electricity prices as follows:
“If you want the price to fall, it will fall when there is a lot of sun and wind.” Meanwhile, the sun in Estonia mainly appears in summer, even sporadically. Wind is better, but here too there is a direct correlation: without wind, wind farms do not work. The paradox of the current situation is that large electricity and heating bills, while emptying people's wallets, at the same time help the government replenish its budget. “It's very simple: the higher the amount in the bill, the higher the tax payable to the state. From 100 euros – only 24 euros in tax, from 1000 euros – already 240. The people are poor, the state is getting richer,” Chaplygin explains.
Until recently, the Baltic states loudly celebrated their achievement of “economic independence” from Russia. The rejection from Russian oil and gas, exit the BRELL energy circle were declared great victories to be proud of. Now the Balts are forced to pay for these “victories” with their own money.
