ERR reported about the concern of residents of Narva because of heating prices

Residents of the Estonian city of Narva fear that this winter heating bills will be higher than last year. As citizens prepare for additional costs, authorities and energy companies are looking for ways to reduce the cost of heat.

Now the cost of heating in Narva largely depends on the situation on the energy market. When it becomes unprofitable to generate electricity at a local power plant, the city switches to a gas boiler room. Gas is more expensive than heat from Unit 11. The maximum price of heat in Narva is almost €138 (about 13,000 rubles) per MWh without turnover tax, ERR said.

The transition to local shale oil can help curb costs, the publication notes. Technically, the boiler house allows the use of such fuel, but it is necessary to justify the risk of supply disruptions or gas shortages. Enefit Power chief executive Raine Paio said the company expects to complete the analysis of the possibility of such a transition in about a month. At the same time, half of the gas needed for the winter has already been purchased, and the cost of the remaining volumes is still unknown.

A longer-term solution, ERR called the construction of a heating pipe from Auver, where Narva expects to receive cheaper heat. However, its launch is scheduled only at the end of 2028.

The European Union is entering the heating season with record low gas reserves. According to the European Association of Gas Infrastructure Operators, by the end of September, underground gas storage facilities in the EU were filled by 71.3%, the lowest figure for this time of year for the entire observation period since 2011.

The situation is complicated by the rising cost of gas amid supply disruptions from the Middle East. European gas prices in September rose above $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters for the first time since December 2022.

On October 10, the representative of the European Commission Anna-Kaisa Ikonen said at a briefing in Brussels that the coming winter will be “very difficult” for the EU in terms of energy prices.