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Lithuania’s largest district heating provider forecasts that despite the lower price of thermal energy, a relatively cold January and higher consumption of thermal energy will generate around 12% of Vilnius city heating bills this month. higher than in January last year. According to preliminary calculations by AB Vilniaus šilumos tinklai (VŠT), 443.9 thousand LTL will be supplied to the network in January. megawatt-hours (MWh) of thermal energy, up 28 percent. more than in January of last year (345.6 thousand MWh).
The higher demand for heat is easily explained, last January was one of the warmest, the average temperature was more than 1.7 degrees. Meanwhile, the first month of the year this year has revived memories of the classic winter: according to a preliminary calculation, the average temperature is forecast at minus 4.3 degrees. It is true that there are no anomalies here: January 2019 was very similar.
“Despite a very significant increase in thermal energy consumption compared to the corresponding period last year, Vilnius bills will grow only slightly more than a tenth in January this year; the growth will be offset by a Heating price much lower than last year, largely due to fuel prices. The price of fuel is fixed on the stock market and is constantly changing, but in recent months the price of both gas and Biofuels have been historically low, so in the winter months the bills will not be intimidating, even if the weather is harsher than desired, ”says Laurynas Jakubauskas, VŠT’s director of customer service.
In January this year, a kilowatt-hour of thermal energy will cost the population of the capital 4.14 cents. In January of last year, the price was 12.7 percent. higher and amounted to 4.74 carats. The variable part of the price in January this year was 2.81 ct, last year – 3.28 ct.
“It is true that Vilnius residents paid even less for the heating supplied in December: 3.96 ct / kWh. The average December temperature was higher, which resulted in lower heat consumption, the December bill averaged 21 percent. lower than the January forecast. This reflects another pattern: as the climate cools, the demand for heat production increases, and at the same time the demand for used fuel increases, and as demand increases, so does the price of fuel, thus that the reality is that the fuel for heat production increases. more expensive during the cold season. The increase in fuel prices in the cold period of the year is also reflected in the population accounts. We cannot significantly influence current fuel prices on the stock exchange, so we try to optimize operating costs and continue to maintain one of the lowest constant prices in Lithuania. Residents, in turn, can ease their heating bills by reducing thermal energy consumption, renovating homes, saving heat and modernizing heating systems, ”added L. Jakubauskas.
