In 2025, heating and hot water tariffs in Uzbekistan may increase twice. This was announced on December 2 at a press conference by Ilkhom Toraev, head of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services.
He suggested that the tariffs could be indexed due to rising prices for electricity and natural gas. This year, tariffs for heating and hot water in Tashkent were raised twice—in April and November—while in the regions, the rates were adjusted only once. Next spring, an increase in tariffs is planned for the capital.
“Next year, tariffs in the regions will rise twice. This is because there is a huge state subsidy to cover [losses]. Therefore, we need to revise the rates to eliminate subsidies and update the system,” said Ilkhom Toraev.
The official also emphasized the need to reassess the payment system. To this end, the system in South Korea and neighboring countries has been studied. For instance, in the Republic of Korea, a subscription fee is charged for providing minimum heating to homes, regardless of whether they are occupied.
A representative of the Ministry of Construction emphasized the importance of implementing a rational tariff policy, based on which the tariffs will be indexed.
“Currently, it is predicted that in 2025, tariffs [for heating and hot water] will increase twice by 15%,” said Toraev.
In Tashkent, as of November 15, tariffs for hot water and heating have increased. Rates have risen by 15% for both citizens and businesses, marking the second increase this year. The last time the capital's Council decided to raise tariffs for hot water and heating was in April.
Veolia Energy Tashkent, the operator of the heating system, explained the tariff increase as a result of rising energy resource costs necessary for heat generation. The company noted that the new tariff for citizens covers only 18% of the base price, while the rest is subsidized.
Earlier, Spot reported that the cost of gas is being reduced for dormitories and local boiler houses.