Lithuania is moving into austerity mode, but what should be the limits?
Linas Jegelevičius
Well, let’s not beat ourselves up: this winter will be different – cold and very few Christmas decorations. When it comes to saving, every bulb counts!
Faced with high energy prices, post-war Ukraine and subsequent energy hoarding, Lithuanian municipal government agencies are scrambling to find ways to reduce their shock bills. But some people wonder what the savings limits should be?
Most municipalities in Lithuania have already gone dark, and some have proposed to close water basins for the winter months.
About 50 kilometers from the Vilnius side, the mayor of the municipality of Širvintos Živilė Pinskuvienė says that the city administration will not protect the lights in the city, but the lighting time will be shortened in the village.
“There is no other option, there are not enough funds to replace the old lights, but to borrow new options due to credit limits. As for the town, the LED lights in the town have been replaced. it cost us 170 euros, it paid for itself in three years, and now the result is 75 percent electricity. Savings,” he said.
However, she points out that there is not much storage space.
“Let’s face it: some institutions, such as a hospital, cannot save. For example, can we save energy in schools? No, if we do, the children will be cold. Fortunately, heat regulators were installed four years ago, when our schools and kindergartens were renovated,” he claimed to BNN.
Not having to buy remote solar panels, the municipality offers to find a way out – power supply from remote solar power plants, but here too it hit a wall.
“The Ministry of Energy pressed the brakes – although such services should only be ordered by the central public procurement information system, the municipality. We tried to do it, but we managed to overcome many bureaucratic obstacles,” said the mayor.
However, he believes that the municipality will manage better in winter.
The city of Alytus has already plunged into darkness – the street lights are dimmed in the evenings, and the same is done in the countryside.
“To be honest, the city is gloomy. Instead of 0.08 euro per 1 kWh, the price of electricity in the city is now 0.44 per 1 kWh. These are not very pleasant numbers. However, next year half of the buildings in Altai managed by the municipality will be covered with solar panels. This is a very high rate. Now
However, Alitus expects that heating bills will be half as much as in Vilnius.
As for heat, about half of the city’s heat is produced from biofuels. Meyer predicts that next summer central heating in Alytus will be about 20 percent more expensive compared to last year’s cold season.
“We had two types of fuel: gas and biofuel, we made decisions. Investor of modern private biofuel, from which there are independent heat suppliers. But let’s look at biofuel prices. We replaced two boilers and used stove fuel. for heating, which was also done in Vilnius. . Our prices will be half as cheap as in Vilnius. In October, our prices will increase by 40%, but in November they will decrease. We believe that the prices of the season will be 15-20 percent. than the last one,” said the mayor.
Alitus plans to charge EV owners to charge their cars, a service that until now has been free.
“When electricity costs 4 cents, we calculated that it would cost about 60,000 euros. We said we could pay that much. However, the price is currently around 200,000 euros per year. We have calculated that it is necessary to invest mln. euros in five years, and the European Union only partially compensates 60 euros from the union,” said the mayor.
As already reported by BNN.lv, the Baltic resort of Palanga and other Lithuanian resorts have already taken unpopular and necessary cost-saving measures – some streets are deserted, and the upcoming Christmas holiday season will be milder than ever.
For example, the lighting of Palanga and Baltic settlements, which is 20 kilometers from Palanga, Šventoji, increased by 84.5 thousand euros or 165 percent during the first eight months of this year, and the costs of managing the resort – 176.4. A thousand euros, for a long time.
But that’s nothing compared to the rising bills for local water companies for the heartbreak May’s calls have already sent.
“The situation is extremely difficult… The consequences of inflation and the increase in the price of energy resources for our region and resorts are very painful and devastating,” Palanga Mayor Šarūnas Vaitkus told Bnn.lv.
In order to reduce the heat load, the Seimas recently voted in favor of maintaining the current zero VAT rate for centrally supplied heating for two more heating seasons in order to mitigate the growth of heating bills. 110 million euros for the state.
The Ministry of Energy has prepared an energy saving program that helps the country save 800 million over two years. euros and 20 percent
Meanwhile, the ministry’s proposal to limit the maximum speed on highways to 110 km/h for another two months – from October to May – has been removed from the plan.
Although energy conservation in the public sector is necessary, not everyone can do it, the country’s doctors and academics claim.
“It is common practice that multimedia projectors are not always switched off, teachers should be reminded of this. Also, if there are kettles in the classrooms, go to the canteen for tea or coffee. We have savings measures. are limited”, says Dainius Šivirdaskas, head of the Association of School Heads.
According to the State Energy Regulatory and Price Service (VERT), in October, compared to the same period last year, heating prices will increase by 140 percent in Kaunas, and by 90 percent in Klaipėda.