Applications for the partial compensation of heating costs for families using firewood, wood pellets or briquettes for heating can be submitted to Riga City Council electronically starting from 1 October, and in person, starting from 3 October. Applications for the compensation of electricity costs used for heating will be accepted starting from 1 November.
For families using gas or centralised heating, the government assistance will apply automatically to the bills they receive, and these families will not have to apply for it.
Who, how, when, and where can I apply for assistance?
Applications for assistance can be submitted electronically via the portal www.epakalpojumi.lv starting from 1 October (1 November for electricity), or starting from 3 October, in person, at any of the Riga City Neighbourhood Resident Centre customer service stations, which requires prior phone appointment, calling 80000800, at:
- Brīvības iela 49/53;
- Eduarda Smiļģa iela 46;
- Daugavpils iela 31;
- Ieriķu iela 43A;
- Gobas iela 6A.
One can apply for assistance as an owner, co-owner, or tenant of a residence, no more than once a month.
Details required for the application:
- name, surname;
- personal identity number;
- contact details and account number of the credit institution or postal payment system, to which the household assistance is to be credited;
- a document certifying the ownership or use of the residence, if the corresponding information is not available in the Land Register, and proof of payment (invoice, payment order), unless the residence is heated using firewood purchased before 31 August 2022 and no proof of payment is available. In this case, the applicant must demonstrate the purchase of the firewood.
The applicant must certify that the residence has the appropriate type of heating and that no other family members have applied for assistance for the residence referred to in the application.
If you plan to apply in person, you don’t have to prepare your application in advance, it will be done on the spot!
The decision on whether to grant assistance is made within 30 business days after the receipt of the application. If the decision is to grant the assistance, the assistance amount is credited to the payment account indicated in the application.
Up-to-date information on the assistance procedure will be posted on the portal www.riga.lv, Heating Assistance section, and will be provided to those calling the Riga City Council free information line 80000800 on working days, from 8:00 to 18:00.
How much assistance can I receive?
The assistance will cover the period from 1 May this year to 30 April next year. The assistance amount is set at 50% of the cost of fuel above the national thresholds, not exceeding a certain level.
If the home is heated using wood pellets or wood briquettes, the family is entitled to 50% of the cost of purchasing 10 tonnes of wood pellets or briquettes, including VAT, at a price of more than €300 per tonne excluding VAT, but not more than €100 per tonne excluding VAT.
If the home is heated using firewood, the family is entitled to 50% of the cost of purchasing 35 bulk cubic metres (21 steres) of wood, including VAT, at a price of more than €40 per cubic metre excluding VAT, but no more than €15 per cubic metre excluding VAT. If the firewood was purchased before 31 August this year and no proof of payment is available, you are entitled to €60 as government assistance.
If the home is heated using electricity, the family is entitled to receive assistance, including VAT, for electricity consumption above 500 kilowatt-hours per month but not exceeding 2000 kilowatt-hours per month, at 50% of the electricity price above €0.160 per kilowatt-hour excluding VAT, but not exceeding €0.100 per kilowatt-hour excluding VAT.
Author: Mārtiņš Vilemsons, Project Coordinator at External Communication Division of Riga City Council Communication Department, e-mail: martins.vilemsons@riga.lv