Bills 50% Higher 0 8

"With the ongoing severe frosts, the forecasts for heating bills in January are becoming increasingly alarming. Although local governments emphasize that this is not a crisis, it is expected that there will be people for whom heating bills will pose difficulties. Local governments are prepared for such a scenario, but at the same time, they say that the burden of helping residents will be quite heavy, so they expect government support," reports the TV-3 news service.

Heating bills are expected to be up to 50% higher compared to December, as warned by heating supply companies due to the persistent frosts. This news has also reached the residents of Latvia's fourth largest city, Jelgava, who acknowledge that there is concern about the upcoming heating bills.

"And this will be alongside the property tax, so the amounts will be catastrophic," said a resident of Jelgava to TV-3 reporters.

Currently, the most realistic solution for supporting residents amid rising heating costs is considered to be housing assistance. Low-income residents may qualify for it, with 70% of the aid covered by local government funds and 30% by the state. Local authorities, anticipating that the number of aid recipients may increase, are calling for a greater state involvement.