Despite low temperatures registered in 2009 – 2010 heat season and high consumption of heat, approximately 100 residents of the building situated on Maria Drăgan, 38/2 str., have managed to reduce their bills for heat with almost 50% , including other multiple advantages. Even if it seems incredible, they are the first consumers with whom SA «Termocom» concluded direct contracts and the bill for heat reflects proper consumption from the apartment indicated on their own personal meter.

In Republic of Moldova the “Maria Dragan building” case is unique and exemplary. All the drawbacks being eliminated from the start, the project was built in accordance with horizontal heat distribution practice in Western countries. According to this practice, common pipes transit staircases of each floor but not the apartments. Thermostatic valves are mounted in each apartment and allow heat consumption adjustment, while apartment heat meters are installed in on each floor.

Besides horizontal distribution, in the same building was installed an Individual Substation bought from o grand offered by Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) with whom SA «Termocom» collaborated in the past couple of years, benefiting from financial and technical support. Due to this technical features and insulation with expanded polystyrene plates, pre-insulated pipes with polyurethane foam (which assure a very low heat loss), advantages of the block built by Commercial Company “Basimobil Grup” in collaboration with SA “Termocom” (thermal component) were seen from the first months of the heat season.

Thus, during one of the coldest month like January 2010, when payments charged increased at the same level as consumption, residents from Maria Dragan str. managed to make savings of around 800 lei for heat bill. In January 2010, average price for heating one square meter of living area in blocks with vertical heat system was 17,61 lei, at the same time in Maria Dragan building around 9,06 lei or about 48,5% less. Residents who decided to increase bill savings, reduced their heat (Gcal) quantity consumption, following to pay in January this year 159,05 lei (apartment 71) and 202,34 lei (ap.42), even during a month with average air temperature minus 5,2 °C.

For apartments with different distribution system of heat, but the same size, bills for heat are presented as follows:

In addition to economic return, horizontal distribution of heat also offers other advantages such as:

• consumer has the option to manage the heat consumption at his own will, to decide on fixation and automatic maintenance of the desired level of thermal comfort, depending on his needs and budget;

• consumer has an individual contract with the service supplier, which allows him to submit claims against supplier regarding quality of service, and the supplier, in turn, may disconnect individually the consumer with debts, without other consumers in the building to be affected;

• bill for heat reflects exactly each apartment consumption;

• cases when apartments are overheated are excluded and hence heat loss for that reason;

• heat and domestic hot water quality is stable and corresponds to the present normative acts requirements;

• heat losses through building shell were considerably reduced;

• also, heat losses through supply pipes were reduced considerably;

• installation of the individual substation, made possible exclusion from usage, of the domestic hot water supply networks, which reduced heat and water losses;

• consumers may start and terminate the heating season at their own discretion;

• the risk to be disconnected because of bad payers neighbors is excluded, they being disconnected from heat from individual entry into the apartment;

• reduction of GHG emissions and, consequently, pollution of environment;

Hereunder you can find some answers of residents from Maria Dragan, 38/2 str. about the new heat system, the degree of satisfaction and objections regarding apartments heating.

Cristina Scetinnicova, ap 23: We are very pleased with new heating system, it works well, it’s comfortable, and sometimes we even close the heat consumption completely. We have hot water instantly as soon as we open the valve. I appreciate the fact that we have an individual contract with SA “Termocom” and I think this system is more convenient for us.

Silvia Vihristiuc, ap 35: It’s very practical to have independence in managing heating consumption. I was even telling my work colleagues that I never thought something like this exists and how pleased I am. It’s cheaper than regular heating system or natural gas boilers, I can adjust the heat and it is a great advantage for family budget. My colleagues would also like to switch to this system, and I would recommend it to all Chisinau citizens.

Nina Corai, ap 102: Surprisingly is the fact that water is very hot and costs three times less than from electric boiler. I can maintain a constant temperature in apartment, depending on preferences. During the days with high temperatures, I disconnect the heat, and so I know that I will pay a lower bill.

Natalia Pavlova, ap 6: We are happy with the new system, it’s advantageous, we have hot water and heat at very affordable prices, much lower than in the city.

By implementing western practice in Chisinau, SA „Termocom” proposed and demonstrated that it’s possible to end high heat cost and unreasonable consumption of heat. The heat supplier stated and reiterated that in Republic of Moldova heat is expensive not because the price is very high, but because it’s wasted.We recall that the price of a Gcal in Chisinau is one of the lowest in the region (for details, click here). Meanwhile, the experience of other countries shows that the biggest reserves of tariff cost reduction are in the housing sector. SA “Termocom” believes that the development and approval of a national program in this respect is of utmost necessity. Especially that the achieving of this objective is determined by other realities:
-Natural gas prices will continue to rise;
-Purchasing power of the population will not increase proportionally with energy resources price.
JSC Termocom cares for thermal comfort and financial effort made by consumers to pay the bills for heat services.

With the help of the project from Maria Dragan 38/2 str. SA “Termocom” showed that modernization of heating system in housing sector is possible in Chisinau, together with heat savings and significant bill reduction.

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