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The authorities in Kosovo have appealed to the citizens to save electricity, warning of a “very uncertain” winter, due to the almost doubling of prices within the month of July.
In the press release of the Company for the Distribution of Electricity in Kosovo (KEDS), it is stated that the deep energy crisis in Europe has also affected Kosovo.
According to KEDS, in the first week of July the price on the Hungarian stock exchange – HUPX was 348 euros per megawatt, while in the last week of July the price increased to 735 euros per megawatt.
“The increase in demand on the one hand and the decrease in production on the other hand have caused electricity prices to soar all over Europe”the announcement states.
Kosovo’s electricity needs exceed production capacities, especially during winter.
Kosovo has the capacity to produce about 800 megawatts per hour, while its needs, on winter days, reach up to 1,300 megawatts per hour.
This difference, it usually imports from abroad. According to KEDS, in addition to the enormous prices, the need for electricity has also significantly limited commercial opportunities.
“In the tenders that we have held recently, in most cases we have not accepted any offer. In the event of an offer, extra high prices are displayed according to market conditions”.
“The creation of these situations since the summer makes a very uncertain situation prevail. Therefore, in these circumstances, we ask the consumers to create savings mechanisms and to direct the heating of their living spaces from alternative forms for the winter season”, the announcement states.
Undertaking these actions, according to KEDS, significantly reduces the need for import and simultaneously increases the security of supply, which depends a lot on the stability of local production.
How to save electricity?
At the beginning of this year, the Office of the Energy Regulator in Kosovo (ERO) made some recommendations on how electricity can be saved.
“The activation of washing machines, as well as those for washing dishes at night, with low rates, is only one of the methods that would save electricity”, says an ERO instruction.
Another recommendation states that the accumulation of heat in the heating thermos can be done at night at low rates, while the boiler can be used only when needed.
ERO also gives other advice, such as: not placing the refrigerator near heat sources and turning off the lights in spaces that are not in use. The ERO also recommends the use of energy-saving electric bulbs and neon lights.
Based on the statistics of institutions in Kosovo, households are the main spenders of the total electricity produced in the country.
The Office of the Energy Regulator in Kosovo, on February 8, approved more expensive electricity tariffs, which it said will be valid until March 31, 2023.
The tightening, however, has affected only those consumers who spend over 800 kilowatts per hour, within a month./ Radio Free Europe
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