BEIJING: Major energy suppliers in cities including Baoding, Langfang and Handan have cut natural gas prices by 0.2 yuan (3 cents) per cubic meter for the remainder of the winter heating season, better serving the local residents.
On Jan 15, ENN Energy’s Baoding office lowered the terminal sales price for rural households that have switched from coal to gas to 2.98 yuan per cu m. Similar notices were issued in Langfang, Handan and Zhangjiakou, all in Hebei province, with gas providers pledging to keep prices affordable and avoid supply disruptions.
Some households also received a one-off heating subsidy of 200 yuan, according to China Youth Daily.
“Coal-to-gas” residents refer to rural households in northern China that have replaced bulk coal with natural gas for winter heating under a government program aimed at reducing air pollution.
Starting in 2017, the transition has greatly improved air quality in the region. Yet many rural residents said the cleaner alternative used to be a heavy financial burden.
In neighboring Shanxi province, a resident surnamed Hu from Dingxiang county told People’s Daily early this month that while the policy benefited the environment, it has strained household finances. In late 2024, local gas prices rose from a base level of 2.26 yuan to more than 3 yuan per cu m for higher consumption tiers. “To get through the winter, even by cutting every possible expense, it still costs several thousand yuan,”Hu said.
“My elderly parents only turn on the wall-mounted gas furnace when they really can’t endure the cold. It’s freezing indoors, and they have to wear thick coats inside the house.”
Similar concerns were voiced in Huaxian county, Henan province. A local resident surnamed Lyu said that while the initial installation of gas equipment was subsidized, operating costs have surged. With tiered pricing reaching 3.72 yuan per cu m at higher usage levels, Lyu estimated that heating a home comfortably through the winter could cost up to 10,000 yuan.
“That is far beyond what villagers here can afford,” he said.
Experts attributed the high costs to several structural factors. Unlike urban areas, rural villages have a low population density and scattered housing, which raises the per-household cost of building and maintaining gas pipeline infrastructure. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
