Of all the bills issued by JSC "Rīgas siltums" for the provided thermal energy, 2.3–2.5% are not paid on time, and the total debt currently amounts to about five million euros, said the company's chairman Kalvis Kalniņš in an interview with the LETA agency.
He also noted that the share of unpaid bills has remained relatively stable for a long time.
"We constantly monitor and analyze customer debts," said Kalniņš, adding that "Rīgas siltums" has created an internal commission that individually reviews each case of debt and facilitates the collection process.
According to him, this approach has yielded good results, as there are very few problematic buildings left. "Of course, it is our duty to ensure that every customer can receive basic services and stay warm during the cold season, so even one disconnected building is a lot for us. We address each case individually," emphasized Kalniņš.
He noted that some cases are indeed objective, where someone suffers due to others, but there are also cases where services are deliberately not paid for.
Kalniņš also reminded about the recent amendments to the apartment ownership law, which will come into effect in January next year and stipulate that the new owner of an apartment will be responsible for utility debts incurred no earlier than three years before acquiring the property. "This is good regulation that will help in the fight against debtors," he acknowledged.
