Serbia Power Consumption Soars On Gas Row

Serbs consumed a record amount of electricity in the last 20 days due to the Russia-Ukraine gas row, the national power company said, appealing on consumers to limit the use of electric heaters in their apartments  to avoid a collapse of the system.

 Momcilo Cebalovic, spokesperson for the EPS state power company told broadcaster B92 that a collapse of the network had been avoided only thanks to the exceptional efforts of Serbia’s thermal plants.

He added that in order for the grid to remain stable, “heating from the thermo power plants must be improved so that the temperature in flats can be increased according to regulations.”

Since the gas crisis hit Serbia last week, flats connected to the central heating system were several degrees colder than usual in line with a redistribution policy that aimed to ensure that no region of the country remained totally without heat.

With the temperature persistently below zero, sales of electric radiators soared, and authorities increased their appeals for moderation in electricity use.