Thousands of Vilnius residents are at risk of losing their heating allowances: advice from the housing administrator on how to avoid this

Thousands of Vilnius residents are at risk of losing their heating allowances: advice from the housing administrator on how to avoid this

This week, Vilnius City Council announced that residents of a block of flats who have not yet decided to renovate their building will lose their heating compensation. According to Martynas Naujokas, a representative of Civinity, a group of companies involved in the maintenance and administration of apartment buildings, this decision will affect thousands of Vilnius residents and recommends that they do not delay and seriously evaluate the possibility of renovating their apartment building.

Renovating an apartment building reduces heat consumption by 45-70% and allows residents to regulate the heat in their apartments and pay only for the heat used in their own apartment. Renovation also repairs any defects in the apartment building’s structures and engineering systems, significantly reducing the costs of running the building and dealing with emergencies. In addition, the aesthetic appearance of the apartment building is improved and property values increase by 15-30%.

80% of the apartment buildings maintained by Civinity Group companies are old and in need of renovation. According to Mr Naujokas, although the benefits of apartment building renovation are already widely known and rarely disputed, residents are still reluctant to take up renovation projects and to upgrade their apartment buildings.

“One of the common myths that we still encounter when we talk to residents is that renovation costs a lot of money and that residents are not ready to spend money on it. To dispel this myth, it is very important to know that the State is encouraging the renovation process by offering significant support”, says Naujokas.

The costs of the technical design, supervision, expertise and energy performance certificate, as well as construction maintenance, are 100% reimbursed, and the costs of project administration are fully reimbursed. Currently, energy efficiency measures for contracted works are also reimbursed at 30%, and additional support of 20% is proposed for the installation of a stand-alone or retrofitting of an existing non-automated heat point and the installation of balance valves on risers, for the conversion or replacement of the heating system, and for the installation of individual heat metering devices or a system of heat meters and/or thermostatic valves in flats and other premises.

According to Mr Naujokas, after taking into account the compensation offered by the state, the average cost of renovation of a fifty-apartment apartment building is about EUR 22-25 thousand per apartment, which is spread over a period of 20 years under the terms of a preferential loan. Thus, residents pay an average of €150 per month for the renovation of their property. However, after the renovation, residents also save an average of €40 – €50 per month on heating and €10 on building maintenance, bringing the final cost of the renovation down to €90 – €100 per month per apartment.

For residents entitled to heating cost compensation, the state fully covers all the costs of renovating the apartment building, so renovation is completely cost-free for those living in poverty.

“It is important to note that in order to receive heating reimbursements, these residents are required by law to be active in the renovation process, to participate in the residents’ meeting and to vote on the renovation issue. It is not only those residents who voted against the renovation or who did not participate at all in the vote on the renovation that will lose their heating compensation,” emphasises the Civinity representative.

Residents who want to initiate the renovation process should first contact the administrator of the apartment building, who organises a vote of the building’s inhabitants and prepares an investment plan for the renovation/modernisation, which is then approved by a written vote of the owners of the premises.

“The process takes an average of 4 months, during which time it is realistic to complete all the preparatory work, obtain the residents’ approval and proceed with the public procurement process. Therefore, residents who are considering renovation and who do not want to lose the heating compensation they have received so far should contact their building administrator as soon as possible, who will provide them with all the necessary information and start organising the work.” – says Naujokas.