In a week, on November 1, the heating season should begin in Odessa. In an interview with ElitExpert, the head of the standing committee on housing and communal services of the Odessa City Council, Alexander Ivanytskyi, said whether the city is ready for heat supply and whether the residents of Odessa are waiting for another tariff increase.
— The most urgent question: is the disruption of the heating season not planned? Odesskaya CHPP and "Teplosnabzhenie gorodas Odessy" concluded contracts with JSC "Naftogaz Ukrainy" for the supply of gas?
— Yes, our enterprises have signed an agreement with Naftogaz Trading, which is a subsidiary of Naftogaz Ukraine. Therefore, there are no worries here, and the situation that is technologically related to these enterprises does not cause concern.
— In the past years in Odessa, the problem of residents of OSMD with individual heating was acute. As you know, people there have to pay for heat at 30-40% higher tariffs. Is there any solution to this problem?
- This is really a problem. Houses of OSMD with their individual and roof boiler rooms directly conclude contracts for the supply of gas. The problem is that they are recognized as household consumers, but, unfortunately, they are listed as enterprises, although they are recognized as non-profit organizations. For some reason, they have to get gas at a commercial price, which is dictated by the Rotterdam market, and it is far from the best there today. And, as you understand, this is a serious blow to our industry.
That is, it seems to be the same household consumer, but today the price for Odessa residents, consumers of KP "Teplosnabzhenie gorodassy Odessy" is fixed at UAH 7,42 per cubic meter + VAT. And residents of OSMD with individual heating at that time paid 25 to 40 hryvnias...
I believe that dividing people into those living in houses with centralized heating and those with individual heating is incorrect and unfair. I think that soon this moment will be regulated in terms of compensation with Naftogaz Ukraine and this issue will be resolved.
The main problem is that there has never been such a jump in gas on the world market as it is now, so the price for residents of OSMD and consumers of "Teplosnabzheniya g.Odessa" was practically comparable. And if today the NKRECP (National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utilities) does not bring their tariff to the level of the physical consumer, I believe that they should file a lawsuit and demand compensation for losses.
— The main question that worries Odessa residents: will the heating tariff be raised this season?
- I explain. If it says in the section of our KP "Teplosnabzhenie gorodassy Odessy", then last year we bought gas for UAH 6,99 (including VAT). Today we buy gas for UAH 7,42 without VAT, and with VAT it is already UAH 8,60. Well, everyone knows that the price of gas is 75% of the heating tariff.
If last year heating one square meter in an ordinary house cost UAH 30, then today it should cost about UAH 40-42. This is a lot, so there are guidelines and guidelines to keep the price and not raise it. Although this will be a direct loss for our KP, which again leaves the opportunity to bring the enterprise to self-sufficiency. I am already silent about the profitability of KP, this question again moves to the second plan.
I have been heading the permanent commission of the Odessa City Council on housing and communal services for the sixth year, and all these years we have a planned subsidy for this enterprise. We invest money in the budget, and on average we donate to KP "Teplosnabzhenie" at the level of UAH 500-800 million annually! Just to compensate for such gaps between the existing tariffs and the necessary ones, so that the KP "Teplosnabzhenie gorodassy Odessy" could purchase gas for the next year as well.
The economically justified tariff for today is UAH 42 per square meter at the price of gas that we will receive now.
However, at the same time, I think that the city will keep the price at the level of UAH 30. This is a political move. We all understand that it is difficult for Odessans now. Not everyone has the opportunity to get extra money for an apartment (for example, for a two-bedroom apartment of 50 square meters, this is an additional 500-600 UAH per month). For some, this is unaffordable money.
— And what is the situation with budgetary organizations and social institutions (kindergartens, schools, hospitals). Fears have been repeatedly expressed that they may be left without heat...
— The price in the section of communal institutions of the city has also increased. Today it is UAH 18. 80 kopecks with VAT Previously, it was 13 hryvnias. Therefore, now the city council will have to redistribute and invest much more financial resources to supply gas to our institutions. Now the city is working to ensure that all our communal facilities have contracts for the supply of heat. Therefore, everything that concerns the supply of heat from our KP "Teplosnabzhenie gorodassy Odessy", all communal establishments will be provided with heat.
We hope that this confusion will be resolved now. We will understand what the final price will be when gas is supplied to our main boiler rooms under pressure in the pipe. Until then, we would like the weather not to let us down.
Traditionally, the heating season began on October 15. First of all, communal facilities, kindergartens, schools, hospitals were launched. Sometimes it happened that the city entered the heating season even in the middle of November. It was more related to technological problems. But I hope that from November 1 all our users, both individuals and communal institutions, will be warm.
— What are the possible risks of failure of the heating season in Odessa?
— We have a certain amount of gas that the city buys per hour. We calculated the purchase of the first volume based on the weather conditions of the last five years. For this period, we calculated the necessary volume of gas consumption for the city. There are about 19 million cubic meters of gas there.
But if we do not fit into the reserved first guaranteed volume and exceed the limit, then the second volume will come into force, which, unfortunately, will already be calculated from the exchange price. This will be a very difficult moment.
But still, we will manage for household consumers. I hope that we will have enough self-produced gas. More worrying is the situation related to production, which can throw our state into deep hyperinflation.
Nevertheless, Odessa is ready for the heating season. I will not give 100% guarantees, but I am 98% ready.
