Latvia’s Economy Ministry has ordered proposals to limit a potential winter heating-price increase in Riga, where the municipal supplier anticipates upward pressure on tariffs from December. Economy Minister Viktors Valainis wants options prepared this week, according to reporting published on 22 September.
The figures describe a projected increase, not an approved tariff. A rise of approximately 20–30% is under discussion, while the regulator expects the outlook to become clearer in early October.
The current tariff of €83.01 per megawatt-hour is due to fall slightly to €80.96 in October. That reduction would precede a December reassessment of fuel-related and fixed costs.
Rīgas siltums board chairman Kalvis Kalniņš said gas prices were 142% higher than in the previous heating season and biomass prices had increased by 40%. Gas supplies approximately 60% of Riga’s heat. The company is examining greater fuel diversification, including electricity-based heat production and additional biomass capacity. None of those measures yet establishes what customers will ultimately pay this winter. Latvian public broadcaster LSM’s tariff report.
The debate comes as new household statistics underline the importance of heating in Latvia’s energy consumption. Results released on 21 September show that space and water heating accounted for 83.9% of household energy use in 2025, compared with 7% for cooking.
Externally supplied heat served 56.8% of households nationally and 82.2% in Riga, making changes to district-heating prices particularly consequential in the capital. The corresponding share in rural areas was just 16.1%.
The survey also points to a substantial renovation gap. Between 2020 and 2025, only 3% of dwellings underwent complete insulation work, while 10.5% received some improvements. More than three-quarters reported no insulation improvements during that period.
Average heating expenditure was €7.03 per square metre in dwellings insulated during those five years, against €11.37 in unrenovated homes. The comparison is not a guaranteed saving for every household, but it highlights the relationship between building condition and heating expenditure. LSM’s report on the household energy survey.
For households, the distinction matters: the tariff determines the price of heat, while a building’s energy needs help determine how much must be purchased.
