Narva may request state funding to mitigate heating price rises

Discontent is growing in Narva over the rising cost of district heating. Residents are gathering signatures for a petition and planning a protest. The city government intends to request support from the government to mitigate the price hike.
The most recent increase in district heating prices occurred in December, with a nearly 1.5-fold hike. Heating bills have risen by about €100 compared to a year ago. City residents are angry and demanding a reduction in heating costs.
A petition on the public initiative portal has gathered 3,500 signatures, and a demonstration is planned for February 1 on Stockholmi plats (Stockholm Square) in front of the town hall.
The protest actions is led by resident Tatjana Aleksejeva, who receives incapacity benefits and lives in a two-room rental apartment with her child.
In January, her heating bill exceeded €300, the highest she has ever faced. Frustrated, she decided to take action.
"Everyone is complaining, but no one wants to take the initiative or make the first move. The city government is focused on power struggles instead of residents' concerns, so I took matters into my own hands. The situation is getting worse. Prices keep rising, and soon people will start stealing food from stores. We cannot stay silent anymore," she said.
Aleksejeva said she hopes the petition and demonstration will draw attention to a situation where the local government, the district heating provider, and state agencies continually discuss controlling heating prices, yet nothing changes, and bills keep increasing.
Narva Mayor Katri Raik believes blaming the local government and calling for lower heating prices is populist rhetoric. However, she acknowledged that residents' frustration cannot be ignored.
A meeting with the management of Enefit is planned, and the city is considering appealing to the government.
"The first step is to highlight that the situation is indeed serious. We will ask what solutions the national government envisions and, if necessary, request support to keep heating prices at last year's level. This would be special treatment for Narva, which I know will evoke mixed reactions elsewhere in Estonia, but we cannot just sit idly by. And we certainly don't want worsening or rising discontent in Narva," Raik said.
For now, Narva residents can only hope for milder weather and support from the Baltic Power Plant, which provides cheaper heating than gas.
In December, the plant operated for about two weeks; on other days, oil shale electricity was unable to enter the market.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Helen Wright