go to the original language article
“`html
Bratislava – In 2025, the prices of heat and gas for households will not increase, they will remain at this year’s level. Approximately 235 million euros, which were approved in the state budget for next year, will be used for energy aid. This was announced by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) after the government meeting on Friday, with the participation of representatives of coalition parties, Minister of Economy Denisa Saková (Hlas-SD), and Minister of Finance Ladislav Kamenický (Smer-SD), TASR reports.
Fico specified that based on the proposal submitted by the Minister of Economy on Friday, the government made a decision to use 235 million euros in practice. “In 2025, the price of heat and gas for households will not go up, it remains at the same level as in 2024,” he stated.
He reminded that the Regulatory Office for Network Industries made price decisions at the beginning of December. “These price decisions would practically lead to a significant increase in gas and heat prices. However, we decided to deliver what we promised to the Slovak public, that we will adopt compensatory measures,” he said.
“I also want to inform you that we are conducting intensive international negotiations regarding gas supplies in 2025. These decisions have a huge number of pitfalls, because there are political declarations by the Ukrainian side. There is also pressure for any interruption of supplies from east to west. There are offers for gas supplies that are significantly more expensive, including transit fees, which we refuse. We see no reason for geopolitical reasons to pay more for gas than necessary,” said the Prime Minister.
According to him, in the coming days, including the Christmas holidays, exceptionally intensive negotiations at various levels and in different countries, starting next week, can continue.
“I believe that even if there is a short-term shut-off of gas supplies from the east, we are sufficiently pre-stocked. I also believe that we will find a joint solution for several EU countries and maintain gas transit through the territory of Slovakia and through the territory of Ukraine,” Fico noted.
On January 1st, 2025, the contract regulating the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine will expire, which will have significant consequences for the remaining export of Russian gas to some EU countries. The end of the transit contract will represent an important shift, as gas through Ukraine has so far accounted for half of the remaining Russian gas export through pipelines to the EU and a third of total Russian gas export including liquefied natural gas (LNG). The impact of the new situation will be felt mainly by Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia, for which the Ukrainian transit route covered around 65 percent of the gas demand in 2023.
The European Commission in 2022 set a non-binding target for the EU to stop all imports of Russian gas by 2027. Ending transit through Ukraine from January 1st, 2025, may accelerate EU plans and it would also mean a loss of about 6.5 billion dollars a year for Russia. (December 13)
“`