Skopje's District Heating Starts Two Days Early - Chair and Butel Promise Possibly Cheaper Heat

District heating in Skopje is starting two days early. From today, 13 October, the 2026/2027 heating season begins for consumers connected to the central heating systems run by AD ESM, through ESM Heat Supply and its "Energetika" branch.

The official start date is 15 October, but the rules allow the season to begin earlier, between 1 and 15 October, if the forecast average outdoor temperature for the following day is 12 °C or lower. The Hydrometeorological Service forecast exactly that for 13 October, so the conditions set by the Energy Regulatory Commission were met. Until 15 October, ESM will post on its website every day whether conditions for supply are met for the following day.

Heating by the thermometer

In October and the first half of November, supply will depend on the outdoor temperature at different times of day: when it's colder, the heat goes up; when it's warmer, it goes down; and at certain threshold values the system switches off entirely and comes back on when the temperature drops. ESM says this ensures optimal consumption and minimal costs.

The rest of the announcement is a list of obligations for consumers. Indoor heating installations must be in working order, because maintaining them is the residents' responsibility. Homeowners' associations must ensure access to the heat substations, a steady power supply and paid electricity bills. Whether your building is on the list of properties that don't meet the conditions for supply can be checked on ESM Heat Supply's website, and faults can be reported on 02 3076 200 and 075 400 100, or for ESM Energetika on 02 3104 816 and 02 3104 872.

Chair and Butel: a lower price - maybe

The heating season is also starting for residents of Chair and Butel, who get their heat from Energy Ecolink, part of the Tessa Energy group. There, the company is announcing an investment of more than 2 million euros in a new gas-fired cogeneration plant producing both heat and electricity. One of the expected benefits, they say, is "the possibility of reducing the price of heat", along with less air pollution in Skopje.

"Possibility" is a carefully chosen word. The announcement doesn't say by how much the price might fall, or from when. Residents of Chair and Butel will find out how real the promise is when they open their first heating bill.