RIGA, Dec 30 (LETA) - Daugavpils Siltumtikli heating company is planning to increase heating tariff in Daugavpils by 169.5 percent effective February 1, according to the company's statement printed in the government gazette Latvijas Vestnesis.

Daugavas Simtumtikli submitted the new draft tariff plan to the Public Utilities Commission on December 28.

At the moment, heat generation tariff in Daugavpils is EUR 43.7 per megawatt-hour (MWh), heat transmission and distribution tariff is EUR 11.42 per MWh, and heat trade tariff is EUR 0.65 per MWh, therefore the total tariff for end-users, with excise tax, is EUR 56.96 per MWh.

The new tariff proposed by Daugavpils Siltumtikli is EUR 153.62 per MWh, or 169.5 percent higher than now. The new tariff is made up of heat generation tariff of EUR 125.08 per MWh, heat transmission and distribution tariff of EUR 26.6 per MWh, while heat trade tariff remains unchanged at EUR 0.65 per MWh.

The increase in the heating tariff is due to higher natural gas prices, said Daugavas Siltumtikli.

As reported, Daugavpils City Council at an extraordinary meeting on December 27 declared a local energy crisis.