A large number of citizens faced higher prices for firewood this year, and it is certain that this winter for them, as well as for those who heat with electricity or other energy sources, the crisis and rising prices mean that a warm home will cost more than in past years. .

They came into force at the beginning of this month and the Government's measures to save electricity.

The government, at the proposal of the Ministry of Economy, on the eve of winter brought a set of recommendations and tasks for saving electricity and heat energy. The goal, according to the Government, is to reduce electricity consumption by 15 percent compared to the same month last year. If the measures are not respected, as announced by Prime Minister Kovacevski, punishments will follow for the violators.

According to what was announced, all state and public institutions - ministries, agencies, state administration bodies, should turn off the decorative lighting on the facades, use daylight, air conditioners should not be used at a temperature lower than 27 degrees, and for heating no more than 20 degrees.

All this indicates that the citizens will not be left out of the recommendations for saving energy in their homes. "Sloboden Pechat" asked Skopje residents: how will they heat their homes this winter - will they save money and do they believe in the government's recommendations for dealing with the crisis?

Otherwise, according to the data of the State Statistics Office, firewood remains the main energy source that citizens use to heat their homes in the heating season throughout the country. As much as 49 percent of households are heated with firewood, according to the SSO report. The second most used means of heating homes is electricity, which was used by 31 percent of Macedonian households. At the same time, it remains unclear who exactly will supply Skopje with thermal energy after the Regulatory Commission for Energy (RKE) revokes BEG's license to perform the service. From what was last said, the state ESM took over the management of the steam plant in Skopje.

From what the citizens said in the survey, many of them will surely have to give up many things this coming winter, but even then they are not sure if and how much can be saved for electricity and heating from the already depleted family budget.