Sofia could be left without heating this winter if Sofia residents fail to pay their bills, Sofia heating company Toplofikatsiya deputy executive director Ivan Marinov told Bulgarian National Radio. In such a case, the company might not be able to pay its debts to state gas supplier Bulgargaz.

On September 16, Toplofikatsiya Sofia's executive director Petko Milevski said that the company's debt to Bulgargaz had decreased from 70 million leva to 56 million leva, according to Dnevnik daily. Toplofikatsiya was transferring one or two million leva daily to the gas supplier, but only 50 per cent of money due to the firm had been collected.

Milevski said that on September 18 Toplofikatsiya would start cutting off hot water supplies to customers who had not paid 90 per cent of their bills.

Energy Efficiency Agency executive director Tasko Ermenkov told Focus news agency that Toplofikatsiya Sofia was producing nearly seven million kWh energy yearly, which was equal to the production of one of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant units. "I am really worried that if it [Toplofikatsiya] went bankrupt there would be no source for this energy."

Legislation amendments were needed so that those who do not pay their debts would face sentencing within two weeks, Ermenkov said.

Toplofikatsiya Sofia is not the only one having debt problems. On September 17, Vratsa regional governor Antonio Georgiev sent a letter to Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov and Bulgargaz asking for a postponement of the deadline for debts payment, which was set for September 22. Bulgargaz sent an ultimatum to Toplofikatsiya to pay its debt of 2.3 million leva or the gas supplies would be cut off, Dnevnik said.