With the drop in air temperature in January of this year, 637,000 megawatt-hours of heat energy were consumed in the capital, which is 60% more than in December, when consumption was 399,200 megawatt-hours, reported to LETA by Ivo Valdovskis, head of the strategic communications department of JSC Rīgas siltums.
Analyzing heat energy consumption in January in 5,216 residential buildings, it was found that in 56% of residential buildings connected to centralized heating in Riga, heat energy consumption in January increased by 40–60% compared to December.
In nearly 38% of buildings, consumption increased by 60–80%, and in 4% of buildings, it increased by more than 80%.
Only 2% of buildings saw heat energy consumption increase by less than 40%. As explained by the company, this confirms the connection between air temperature and the technical condition of buildings.
The average outdoor temperature in December 2025 was 2.8 degrees, while the average air temperature in January of this year was minus 7.8 degrees.
The company notes that January of this year became the month with the lowest average outdoor temperature in the last 15 years. The first decade of February was also cold.
According to the company, a decrease in outdoor temperature by one degree leads to an increase in heat energy consumption by 5–8%.
Heat energy consumption is influenced not only by weather conditions but also by the energy efficiency of the building. Improving it can reduce heating costs by up to 60%.
The turnover of the Rīgas siltums group in the last financial year, which lasted from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, amounted to 239.625 million euros, which is 3.6% less than the previous year, while the group's profit increased significantly to 19.888 million euros. The turnover of the parent company Rīgas siltums in the last financial year was 239.618 million euros, which is 3.6% less, while the company's profit increased by 61.4% to 6.373 million euros.
Rīgas siltums is one of the main suppliers of heat energy in Riga. The company's capital is 49% owned by the Riga City Council, 48.99% by the state of Latvia, 2% by SIA Enerģijas risinājumi. RIX, and 0.005% of shares belong to Latvenergo.
As reported, to support residents who may face difficulties in timely payment for services during the cold period of the year due to increased energy resource consumption, SIA Rīgas nami, SIA Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks, JSC Rīgas siltums, and SIA Rīgas ūdens decided not to apply contractual penalties and fines for late utility payments to apartment tenants.
