RIGA, June 1 (LETA) - Riga residents have to reckon with a twofold increase in heating costs in the next heating season, Birute Kruze, a member of the board of the joint-stock Riga municipal heat supply company Rigas Siltums, informed at a press conference today. In these circumstances, the company hopes for government decisions that will reduce the cost burden on Riga residents the next heating season.

As an example, she mentioned an apartment of 50 square meters. If its residents had to pay 70 euros per month for heating last season, then at the price of 100 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) for natural gas the next season, the cost of heating an apartment would be around 145 euros.

Kruze informed that Rigas Siltums has submitted an application to the Public Utilities Commission, which envisages to increase the current heating tariff from 74.08 euros per MWh to 85.99 euros per MWh from August.

On the other hand, forecasts show that with the start of the new heating season, the tariff could increase to 155 euros per MWh.

Representatives of the company said at the press conference today that they hope that the state will reduce the cost burden on the population for the next heating season, and called on the public to consider ways to reduce heating costs, for example, by reducing indoor air temperature by one degree, which would thus lessen heating costs by 5 percent.

Ilvars Petersons, a member of the board of Rigas Siltums, said that heating costs could be reduced by as much as 20 percent. As an example, he mentioned the replacement of radiators, installation of thermostats and allocators, which would reduce heat consumption and reduce heating bills for residents by 20 percent. This would also save energy resources and reduce Latvia's dependence on Russian gas.