The DUI party proposed that Skopje citizens who want to disconnect their central heating service, would be allowed to do so only if they prove that their alternative source of heating is energy efficient.

This amendment, proposed by DUI’s Artan Grubi, was accepted by the European Affairs Committee of the Macedonian Parilament today, where the proposed law on energy efficiency was debated. Skopje is the only city in Macedonia with a developed central heating system, and its plants are gas fired, which makes the heating of most high-rises less polluting, but it’s also pretty expensive.

Citizens often disconnect it in favor of electric heating, despite the fact that they are often asked to pay a price for the heat they receive through the vertical central heating pipes. Lower density areas of Skopje and the rest of Macedonian cities are a mix of wood/coal heating and electric heating, and the former option is largely responsible for the horrific air pollution problem Macedonia has.