Tashkent city hall: heating will be switched on without delay if it turns sharply colder

Tashkent city hall answers question about heating start dates

The Tashkent city administration has commented on one of residents' most frequent questions — when centralized heating will be switched on in the capital. The administration said it sees residents' appeals and understands their concern: as the weather turns colder, apartments become chilly, and many are waiting for the season to begin. «We see your appeals and understand how important it is for your homes to be warm and comfortable,» the city hall noted (Gazeta).

The +8 degree rule and the caveat about actual weather

Under the established procedure, the temperature criterion for starting the season is an average daily temperature below +8 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. At the same time, as in previous years, the authorities will take actual weather into account and «will not delay the decision if the cold snap requires it>» (Gazeta). The press service added that the dates for the start of heat supply will be announced separately (UzNews.uz).

System preparation and last year's experience

Preparation of the systems for the heating season is currently underway together with city services and Veolia Energy Tashkent; the city hall, according to it, is keeping the situation under control (Daryo.uz). The exact start date of the season has not yet been set. Last year, the administration did not wait for the formal fulfillment of the temperature criterion and started heating in social facilities on November 3, and in residential buildings on November 5 (Gazeta).

Context of the rule and related decisions

Editorial context: the rule of five days below +8 degrees has been criticized more than once in Uzbekistan. As Gazeta noted, citing a column by climatologist Erkin Abdullakhatov, the norm dates back to Soviet times — it is enshrined in Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 194 of July 15, 2014 and almost verbatim repeats paragraph 32 of the rules approved by resolution No. 497 of the Uzbek SSR Council of Ministers of September 30, 1985; in the climatologist's view, the rule was developed in the 1960s–70s, when the weather was more stable than it is now. Separately, it was previously reported that during the heating season the baseline electricity consumption norm will be raised in non-gasified areas (Daryo.uz).

Why it matters

Heating start dates directly affect the comfort and health of thousands of Tashkent families who are already complaining about the chill in their apartments. In practice, residents can only rely on the administration's promise to switch on the heat without a formal five-day delay during a sharp cold snap — as already happened last season, when heating was provided on November 3 and 5. The exact date is still unknown, and the city hall has promised to announce it separately.