Authorities in Uzbekistan have introduced a draft presidential decree aimed at bolstering social support measures for low-income and vulnerable households during the upcoming heating season. The initiative, currently undergoing public review, attempts to address escalating household expenses through targeted one-time financial assistance and localized utility adjustments.
According to the draft document, eligible families are slated to receive a one-time material aid payment of 1 million soms during the 2026/2027 heating season, specifically scheduled for disbursement in November. The funds are intended to be transferred directly to citizens' social or bank cards by November 30. Recipients primarily include households officially registered within the national Social Registry.
The program purportedly extends to families not currently listed in the registry, provided they meet specific criteria determined by local community evaluations and governmental databases. To qualify under this supplementary category, a household's per capita income must not exceed twice the minimum consumer expenditure level. Single elderly individuals, citizens with disabilities, and families caring for orphaned children are also designated for inclusion.
Furthermore, in remote or un-gasified regions facing severe heating challenges, the baseline electricity consumption limit is proposed to be raised from 200 kWh to 350 kWh per month. For residents living in multi-apartment complexes connected to centralized heating systems, the income eligibility threshold is set at twice the minimum consumer expenditure in regional areas and triple the amount in Tashkent.
Concurrently, separate governmental resolutions indicate that new tariffs for centralized heating and hot water services are expected to take effect starting November 1, 2026. The authorities intend to progressively adjust thermal energy service rates to match full production costs by 2030, a policy trajectory that analysts warn will eventually increase financial burdens on ordinary consumers despite purported optimization efforts within utility enterprises.
Source: kun.uz