In Lithuania, rising heating prices disproportionately impact energy-inefficient apartment buildings, leading to increased heating bills for residents.
In Lithuania, the price of heat has risen this year in some municipalities to over 9-10 cents per kWh, which is significantly higher compared to the previous year, where the average prices were 8.67 cents per kWh in January 2025 and 7.57 cents per kWh in January 2024. The president of the Lithuanian Heat Supplier Association, Valdas Lukoševičius, highlights that the final bill for residents is influenced by the energy efficiency of their buildings. Consequently, energy-inefficient buildings face steeper costs, leaving their occupants with hefty heating expenses during the colder months.
A key factor influencing the variation in heating bills among different buildings in the same city is their individual energy consumption, which can vary greatly due to differences in size, construction materials, and overall energy characteristics. This means that even if the set heating price remains constant for all buildings within a municipality, the actual usage can lead to significant discrepancies in the monthly bills experienced by residents.
Overall, the implications of rising heating prices place a particular burden on residents of lower-efficiency housing, thereby exacerbating existing social disparities. As residents struggle with increasing utility costs, it raises concerns about energy poverty and highlights the urgent need for improvements in energy efficiency across housing infrastructures in Lithuania.
