Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – In the sphere of heat supply of the republic, measures are being consistently outlined to increase the level of providing the population with high-quality heat energy, priority directions for the development of heat supply systems are identified.

By the resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 20, 2017 No. PP-4542 “On additional measures to improve the heat supply system and financial recovery of heat supply enterprises,” the “Road Map” for implementing additional measures aimed at developing the heat supply system of the republic in 2019-2022, including:

- development of strategies for the integrated development and full-scale modernization of heat supply systems in the regions of the republic;

- the introduction of modern information and energy-saving technologies that provide accounting and monitoring in the field of heat supply;

- phased installation of electronic common house heat meters in apartment buildings and in-house hot water meters with a radio module (“smart meters”), providing data transfer from metering devices to an automated system for monitoring and recording heat energy and hot water in real time (online) ;

- improvement of the tariff policy, ensuring full self-sufficiency of costs for the production and sale of thermal energy, as well as providing for the formation of tariffs, the costs of modernization and development of the heat supply system.

In accordance with the resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 20, 2017 No. PP-2912 "On the Program for the Development of the Heat Supply System for the Period 2018-2022" in 2019, 41.0 billion soums were allocated for the implementation of this Program for the Development of the Heat Supply System centralized sources of financing and in 2020 - 128.0 billion soums (provided for in the Investment Program for 2020).

Along with this, measures are being taken to rationalize the use of energy resources, stimulate energy conservation, strengthen financial discipline and balance the development of enterprises in the fuel and energy complex, and provide financial support to enterprises of the Ministry of Energy that generate electricity by providing subsidies from the State budget to cover part of the costs of natural gas .

Also, in order to provide social support in the field of heat supply (central heating and hot water supply), at the initiative of the Ministry of Finance, methods of state subsidizing of tariffs for the population were introduced, which are expressed in:

- the establishment of lower tariffs for the population in comparison with tariffs for wholesale consumers, to whom tariffs are set based on the cost (full cost coverage);

- payment of subsidies from the State budget to heat supply enterprises as compensation to cover part of the costs (losses) arising from the application of reduced tariffs for the population.

In 2019, the level of tariffs for the population was set lower by 35% compared to tariffs for wholesale consumers, and therefore, subsidies to heat supply enterprises in the amount of 286.4 billion soums were allocated from budgetary funds. For example, in the city of Tashkent, to fully cover the costs of an enterprise for the production and delivery of thermal energy, the population had to pay:

- for central heating services 2,731 soums / m2 of heated area per month (the established reduced tariff is 1,772 soums / m2);

- for hot water services:

1) in the absence of a hot water meter - 31,550 soums / person per month (the established reduced rate is 20,470 soums / person);

2) if there is a hot water meter, 8,079 soums / cubic meter (the established reduced tariff is 5,242 soums / cubic meter);

In 2020, state subsidizing of tariffs for heat supply services to the population will also be maintained, and in the approved parameters of the State Budget funds are allocated in the amount of 333.2 billion soums for the payment of subsidies to heat supply companies to compensate for the price difference.