District heating may rise again — four companies ask regulator for price correction

Four heating companies have filed requests to revise the price of district heating before the end of the year, the Regulatory Commission for Energy and ESM have confirmed. The applications, if accepted, could lead to a third price increase in 2026.

According to the regulator, the requests come from four entities: ESM Production, ESM Supply, ESM Distribution and the company Energy Ekolong — formerly Skopje North. "They relate to a revision of the price for thermal energy that was adopted in July and has been in force since 1 August 2026. As reasons for submitting the new requests, the companies cite the high price of natural gas," the Regulatory Commission for Energy said.

ESM calculation points to sharp gas cost rise

ESM's internal calculation shows that the price of gas in October rose by about 60 percent compared with the level used when the regulator set the price in July. "The extent of any potential price change depends on several factors, with the price of gas on the exchanges having a key influence. Current forecasts point to a rise in the price of natural gas, primarily as a result of ongoing geopolitical events in the Middle East that cause instability in global energy markets," ESM said.

If the regulator approves a correction, it would be the third increase this year: in January the tariff was raised by 5 percent to cover investments for network repairs, and at the end of July the regulator approved an increase of almost 6 percent.

It remains to be seen whether households will face another increase at the height of the heating season. Meanwhile, gas on the exchanges is trading at nearly 90 euros per megawatt-hour, the highest level since December 2022 during the previous energy crisis.

Author: Irena Chachkova

Photo: press material from the event