MINSK, 17 March (BelTA) – Belarusians pay as much as 72% of the prime cost of electricity, BelTA learned from Mikhail Malashenko, Deputy Chairman of the State Standardization Committee, Director of the Committee's Energy Effectiveness Department, on 17 March.
“At present the population pays 72% of the prime cost of electricity and 17% of the prime cost of heating energy,” noted Mikhail Malashenko.
In his words, the amount of heating energy used by Belarusian households decreases all the time. In 2010 the country used over 23.4 million Gcal. In 2015 the figure was close to 22 million Gcal. In 2016 heating energy consumption per capita stood at 2.3 Gcal, down from 2.5 Gcal in 2010. Heating energy consumption has been reduced thanks to efforts of utility providers and efforts of Belarusians themselves, who have started saving energy.
Mikhail Malashenko also said that about 75% of the energy sources used by the Belarusian utilities industry burn wood and peat as substitutes for expensive natural gas.
