The start of sale of heating oil for the 2021-22 season is marked by high prices, which could prove to be a problem for households using this resources for heating. However, it will be even more difficult for households heated by natural gas, which in all previous years were privileged in that they used to pay between 35 and 45 % less than heating oil consumers.
At this start of the winter period, the price of natural gas is almost twice that of last year, and for the first time is above the rate for heating oil: the price of gas rose from last year’s 4.5 eurocents/kWth to 8 eurocents/KWth, which makes it 2.5 % more expensive than heating oil. The price of heating oil started at 1.17 euros per liter, which is 46 % higher compared to October 2020.
The huge hikes in the cost of electricity, natural gas and heating oil continue to worry the Government, as the energy crisis looks likely to extend up to the first quarter of next year.
At a meeting with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the Government will offer households suffering from the increased cost of heating this winter a payment plan to arrange their obligations in the coming months.
Recently, there were also talks between Government officials and the two refining companies in Greece (Hellenic Petroleum and Motor Oil), with the Government asking the oil market to support heating oil consumers by offering discounts and payment in tranches, at least during this initial stage of the winter season.
