A Catastrophic Winter Awaits Us: 70 Million in Heating Costs

As winter approaches, Lebanese people, especially those living in the mountains and cold areas, are preparing for the cold season amid rising heating costs. The sources of heating are as follows: electricity, which is unreliable due to constant power outages, and the high cost of generators (currently about 15,000 LBP per kilowatt/hour); gas, which is also expensive at around 350,000 LBP per gas cylinder and ineffective in extreme cold; and diesel, the primary heating source for most Lebanese, where the cost of one barrel is 700,000 LBP (compared to 100,000 LBP last year). Each housing unit requires about 100 barrels during the winter season (this amount varies according to weather conditions), resulting in a total cost of about 70 million LBP for the winter season. Additionally, the need for around 6 tons of firewood (also varying based on weather) will cost approximately 36 million LBP for the season, with the price of one ton being around 6 million LBP. The lower cost of firewood compared to diesel may drive many families to switch from diesel heaters to wood stoves, incurring the expense of purchasing new heaters. However, this poses serious environmental consequences, as it will increase tree cutting and lead to wildfires that turn forests into blackened areas suitable for logging. The Lebanese are suffering at the onset of winter, which may compel many to endure the cold due to their inability to bear the exorbitant heating expenses.