A harsh winter is on the horizon for consumers’ wallets. The successive increases in fuel prices are turning heating into a luxury, with households that heat their homes with heating oil in the winter being asked to pay hundreds of euros more than last year to cope with the coming cold.
Exactly one year ago, the average price of heating oil was 1 euro. Today, it stands at 1.67, representing an annual increase of nearly 67%.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
What does this mean? According to the Consumers’ Association, a household needs an average of 1,500 liters to stay adequately warm throughout the winter. In other words, for this amount—which cost 1,500 euros last year—they’ll have to pay 2,505 euros this year. That’s 1,005 euros more!
And while further increases are expected in the near future, the reduced excise tax set to take effect on November 1 seems likely to go largely unnoticed by consumers.
“It’s very small—almost negligible—5 cents per liter; it won’t help people at all. People are complaining about this small subsidy.”
Christodoulos Christodoulou – Spokesperson for Gas Station Owners
Heating oil consumption has been declining in recent years due to rising costs and a shift toward alternative options.
“Most people who’ve installed solar panels heat their homes with air conditioning; of course, the quality of heating isn’t the same, but people are saving money and will continue to do so this year as well; however, not everyone has solar panels, and electricity is expensive.”
Christodoulos Christodoulou
Daily Assessment
Amid intense public concern and calls for more support, the President of the Republic states that both the data and the measures taken by the government are evaluated on a daily basis.
“It is a very fortunate circumstance that the government has the financial capacity—precisely because of our responsible fiscal policy—to support our fellow citizens.”
President of the Republic
Noting that the government has invested over one billion euros to address the effects of rising prices.
Watch the report by Rafaella Stavrinou:
