If you are looking for a country where you can create an adequate balance between work, school and life, then Lithuania is the place to be. However, most expats prefer to move to the country because of its cheap cost of living. This simply means that Lithuania allows you to work hard and still play hard, if you know what I mean.
However, during winter, this country can get relatively cold. If you are from a tropical country then this will be a very challenging time for you. But don’t let this discourage you because you can still make your home comfortable. With a reliable electricity and heating provider, you will be able to keep your house warm throughout the winter.
Electricity and Heating Services in Lithuania
During winters in Lithuania, most households find the costs of heating very expensive. As an expat from a tropical country, you will likely find this very frustrating. But the truth is, you will spend nearly half of your salary on heating your home during the coldest months.
Gas prices in Lithuania are relatively high so this could explain these high heating rates. Similarly, they could be linked to the poor insulation of most homes in the country. Your chances of reliable heating is worsened if you end up in an apartment with a public central heating.
A public central heating means that you cannot regulate temperature, choose another supplier or disconnect altogether. So, before you move into any apartment in this country, you should confirm the heating system that is available.
Your best bet would be to move to an apartment with a local heating system. You should however, note that these systems are super labor-intensive despite being cheap. Lithuania has an annual “public heating season”. The season is longer for kindergartens and hospitals.
Connecting to Electricity and Heating in Lithuania
If you are moving to a city or large town, you will most likely find a kitchen that has centralized gas pipes. However, don’t be surprised to find properties where people use electricity to cook. At the moment, Ignitis provides electricity in Lithuania.
The company is owned by the state and relies on the National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) to set prices. The prices are set once every six months. The company also provides gas for cooking and heating.
Getting Electricity and Gas from IGNITIS Lithuania
Ignitis combines different companies into one namely; Lietuvos Energijos Tiekimas, Energijos Tiekimas, Gilė, and Litgas. The company is the largest supplier of electricity and gas in Lithuania.
Ignitis provides various heating solutions to their clients depending on their preferences and needs. Customers can either choose a public or private electricity supply with the company. It also offers heating solutions through installation of heat pumps.
Public Electricity supply in Lithuania
Ignitis allows you to sign a temporary contract when subscribing to the public electric supply. Customers are divided into two main two stages (stage II and III of market liberalization). Stage II is for those who use 1,000–5,000 kWh every year. Whereas stage III is for those who use up to 1,000 kWh per year.
It has four main electricity plans; standard, home, home plus and smart. However, the standard plan is the most popular. The home plan is for customers who use 2,571 kWh or more per year. The Home plus plan is recommended for customers who use 9,000 kWh or more per year. Finally, the Smart plan is for customers who aim to optimize energy consumption and contribute to sustainable energy.
Private Electricity supply
With the private electricity supply you get access to three main plans; minimum, optimum and smart. You can take the minimum plan if you use up to 2,400 kWh per year. I would recommend this plan to expats who don’t use a lot of electricity and have few electric devices. Besides, you will not need to pay a monthly fee. You can also economize by choosing fixed service prices for 1-2 years.
If you use more than 2,400 kWh per year of electricity then you should go for the optimum plan. I would recommend this plan if you use an electric heating system and have many electric devices. However, note that you will pay a monthly fee and you can still go for fixed supply.
Finally, the smart plan is for those enthusiastic about trends in electricity price. Here, the prices change monthly depending on the average trends in electricity price.
Paying Electricity Bills in Lithuania
The good news is that Ignitis offers its customers a fixed electricity price annually. This means that you can keep track of your spending and stick to your budget all year long. Fixed prices imply that you as a customer will not be affected by sudden changes in price.
The availability of many plans offered by the company also means that you can choose the most attractive tariff plan. Your job therefore, is to compare the existing plans and decide which one best suits your needs.
You can pay your electricity bills every month based on your estimated average use. The company also allows you to make automatic payments of e-invoices on your internet banking system. This is a secure and simple payment method that will save you time.
