Around 600,000 households in Croatia are expected to face higher natural gas bills when the heating season begins, as increases in wholesale prices gradually pass through to retail tariffs. Depending on the supplier, heating costs are projected to rise by around 7–8%.
According to Dalibor Pudić of the Croatian Gas Association, wholesale gas prices have increased by approximately €4/MWh. Once VAT is included, this rise will directly affect household heating bills. For an average household consuming about 40 MWh of gas per year, this translates into an additional cost of roughly €40 annually.
Energy analysts suggest that the government could partially cushion the impact through financial support of around €15 million, aimed at offsetting a portion of the increase for consumers. At the same time, they emphasize that households can reduce expenses through energy efficiency measures, noting that even a 1–2°C reduction in indoor temperature can significantly lower gas consumption over the winter season.
The increase in heating costs may also contribute to inflationary pressure in the coming months, even though overall price growth has recently shown signs of easing. Preliminary data for June indicate annual inflation at 4.5%.
