When must they start the heating?
Not by the date — by the temperature. Under Decree 152/2005 of the Ministry of Economy, the heating season runs from 1 September to 31 May. That does not mean the heating comes on on 1 September. The heat supplier starts delivering only once the average daily outdoor temperature falls below 13 °C for at least two consecutive days and the forecast does not indicate a warming. The temperature is measured outdoors in the shade at 07:00, 14:00 and 21:00, and the average is taken from those readings. The season ends the same way: when the average daily temperature rises above 13 °C for two consecutive days and the forecast predicts no cooling.
📋 The rules
- The season: 1 September to 31 May
- Governed by Decree 152/2005
- Heating starts below 13 °C for 2 consecutive days
- Measured outdoors in the shade at 07:00, 14:00, 21:00
- Heating stops above 13 °C for 2 consecutive days
🔓 Exceptions
- The forecast must also indicate no warming, or no cooling, respectively
- The building manager can agree a higher threshold with the supplier
- Different regions therefore start heating at different times
⚠️ Penalties & fines
"It is September — why is there no heat?" is the question of every autumn, and the answer is the 13 °C threshold. 1 September merely opens the period in which heating may be supplied; it is not an obligation to heat. Heat flows only once the average daily outdoor temperature falls below 13 °C for two consecutive days and the forecast shows no warming. If 13 °C feels too low to you — and plenty of people are cold in their flats — there is a remedy: the building manager can agree a higher threshold with the supplier. That is not an individual complaint but a decision for the building — so it belongs at the owners' meeting. And note: because regions differ in temperature, heating starts at different times in different places.
📎 Official sources
- Slov-Lex · Decree 152/2005 (Ministry of Economy) →
- Regulatory Office for Network Industries (ÚRSO) →
- Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic →
❓ Frequently asked
When does the heating season begin?
Under the decree it runs from 1 September to 31 May. But that is only the period in which heating may be supplied — the heat itself comes on according to the outdoor temperature, not the calendar.
What triggers the heating?
The average daily outdoor temperature falling below 13 °C for at least two consecutive days, with the weather forecast showing no warming. Only then does the supplier begin delivering heat.
How is the temperature measured?
Outdoors, in the shade, at 07:00, 14:00 and 21:00, with the daily average calculated from those readings. What counts is the temperature outside, not how cold it feels in your flat.
Why is another town already heating?
Because regions of Slovakia record different temperatures on the same day. The 13 °C threshold is therefore crossed at different times, and heating starts gradually rather than everywhere at once.
Can the 13 °C threshold be raised?
Yes. The building manager can agree a higher threshold for starting the heating with the heat supplier. It is not an individual complaint but a decision for the whole building, so it belongs at the owners' meeting.
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