Sofia turns on district heating today – schools and kindergartens first
Toplofikatsia Sofia begins switching on the heating in stages today. Most buildings in the capital should be warm from Monday.
Symbolic image · Photo: USA-Reiseblogger / Simon / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)
The heating season starts in Sofia today, Thursday, Oct. 29. District heating supplier Toplofikatsia Sofia is switching on the heating in stages, BNT reported. Schools and kindergartens come first, followed by residential and administrative buildings. According to Plamen Mladenovski, head of the energy regulator KEVR, most buildings in the capital should have heating from Monday.
Under current rules, heating is switched on when the average daily temperature stays below 12 degrees Celsius for three days in a row and forecasters expect lasting cooler weather. The company's seven-day forecast shows temperatures below the seasonal norm. Customers who want a later start must file an application with a decision from their building's owners' meeting. Buildings with drained systems will only be connected once repairs are finished.
The company advises opening radiator thermostat valves fully to avoid having to bleed them later, and checking the displays on heat cost allocators. The price of district heating and hot water in Sofia last rose in July, by 5.5%. Mladenovski said everything would be done to keep electricity and heating prices from rising on Jan. 1.