Greeks at Risk to Spend Tough Winter Without Heating Oil

Posted by keeptalkinggreece

Thank God, temperatures are still mild for this time of the year,  thank God many bought heating oil last spring before the price hikes. Then the raw between Finance Minister and representative of gas station owners threatens to force millions of households to spend a rel tough winter. Apart from the fact that many consumers do not have money to spend for heating oil at a cost of 1.40 euro per liter.

A meeting between Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras and representatives of Greece’s gas station owners on Monday ended in a deadlock after the minister rejected a petition for the abolition of a hike on heating fuel that has raised the price per liter from around 1 euro to between 1.30-1.50 euros.

Gas station owners left the Finance Ministry demanding a meeting with the leaders of the three parties in the coalition government to discuss their claim, adding that they are prepared to halt delivery of heating fuel if their demands are not met.
The hike in the special consumption tax on heating fuel has brought it to 80 percent above that on diesel, making heating fuel around 40 percent more expensive this October compared to last.
Representatives for gas station owners say the hike «serves no other purpose than the degradation of the Greek people,» adding that unless the measure is retracted they «will persist with action.» (ekathimerini)

It should be noticed that quite a number of owners of flats in multi-storey buildings decided to refrain from supplying heating oil this winter. Stoves, fire-places and even heating via air/conditioning is the alternative to a heating oil price that hardly some can pay.
The tax increase could backfire and fail to heat  the state pockets …
 Some pets get even whispered by their owners friendly advices like growing more fur this winter…
PS  here is the country where my income decreases by 40% but I am asked to contribute to state’s needs with a hike of 40%.