The key facts

  • Heat and hot water tariffs may rise from November 1; a 30% increase has been proposed for Tashkent
  • Switching from central heating to individual boilers in apartment buildings is prohibited
  • Since December 1, 2022, new apartment buildings are connected only to electricity supply

Tariff growth and the question of individual boilers

From November 1, tariffs for heat supply and hot water in Uzbek cities may increase. For Tashkent, a 30% increase has been proposed — the relevant draft government resolution has been put forward for public discussion. According to Kun.uz, heat tariffs in the capital have already risen noticeably several times in recent years, and officials do not rule out further increases to cover costs. Against this backdrop, a question arose: can consumers connected to the centralized network voluntarily opt out of it and switch to dual-circuit individual gas boilers, which provide heating and hot water at lower costs.

The ministry's answer: disconnection is prohibited

At a press conference on October 15, Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services Ozoza Juraeva answered this question negatively. According to her, disconnecting apartment buildings supplied with centralized thermal energy from the system is prohibited. She referred to paragraph 88 of Cabinet of Ministers resolution No. 194 of July 5, 2014, under which unauthorized alteration or dismantling of in-building heating pipes is categorically prohibited.

Illegal connections and their consequences

Juraeva noted that during apartment-by-apartment inspections, cases of illegal connections to the heating system are identified: reworking pipes for underfloor heating and connecting balconies to the heating network. According to her, this strongly affects neighbors and leads to disruptions in the heating system's operation.

New buildings — electricity only

In addition, citing resolution No. 265, the deputy minister reported that from December 1, 2022, the connection of new apartment buildings to gas networks is being discontinued. 'Going forward, in order to save gas, buildings will be provided only with electricity supply,' she said. Earlier, in January 2025, the Ministry of Construction told Kun.uz in a comment that all new apartment buildings will either be connected to centralized boiler houses existing in the area, or separate new boiler houses will be built for them.