"Heating - Sofia" can provide hot water through fuel oil within 2 to 4 months.

This is the last alternative of the company in case of suspension of natural gas supplies from Russia.

This became clear during an extraordinary meeting of the Metropolitan Municipal Council.

"Toplofikatsia" is also considering reducing the water temperature by 10 degrees.

The goal is to save natural gas.

As for public transport, it turns out that out of a total of 450 buses in Sofia, half are powered by natural gas.

If the deliveries stop, they cannot be used and the transport will operate with fewer cars - like during the holidays. 

The crisis plan of "Toplofikatsia - Sofia" includes three options for using reserve fuel. 

New criteria for deferred payment of heating in Sofia

"The fuel oil we currently have at our disposal is about 22,000 tons," said the executive director of "Toplofikatsia-Sofia" Alexander Alexandrov, Nova TV reported.

"The most difficult scenario, in which we could supply only hot water, is with the existing quantities to provide almost two months, and with the supply of even more fuel oil, we could have another two and a half months," he added. 

With the other two, if "Toplofikatsia" reduces or stops electricity production, the fuel oil will arrive in more time.

The director of the company, however, pointed out that from an ecological and price point of view this "is not a preferred option".

Although fuel oil is ready for operation, the company has every assurance that there will be no problem with gas supply in the coming months.

However, how to save fuel is being considered. 

"The temperature we are obliged to supply in the summer period is 65 degrees.

What we would eventually use is to reduce it to 55 degrees", explained Alexandrov and added that "this is absolutely enough to have a comfortable temperature in the homes and enough hot water". 

The suspension of deliveries would lead to serious problems with public transport in Sofia.

Out of a total of 450 cars on the line, about 250 of them run on natural gas.

However, they cannot be used with alternative fuel, explained the executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Slav Monov. 

Thus, the buses will have to work on a holiday schedule. 

After the extraordinary meeting, the municipal council came out with a position.

"Here the decisive role is the state, since the fuel and its commitment to provide it is the state's, said the chairman of the SOS Georgi Georgiev. 

The only assurance that there is no discussion of an increase in the price of the public transport ticket.

Heating Sofia

supply of natural gas

Sofia