Citizens find the cost of heating 'heavy': 'I will go hungry so I can heat the house'
While the sales of stoves, wood and coal increased in Yüksekova with the cooling of the weather, citizens complained about increasing costs and financial difficulties.
Quick Look
- As the weather gets colder in Yüksekova, the prices of stoves and fuel increase, putting a strain on citizens' budgets.
- A father who earns a salary of 15 thousand liras stated that he will have to cut down on his children's food and school expenses in order to buy a stove.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The winter season in Yüksekova lasts approximately six months, and increasing inflation affects basic heating costs.
As the weather gets colder in Yüksekova, shopping for stoves, wood and coal becomes more active. However, citizens state that heating costs are straining their budgets.
In his statement, a citizen stated that the prices of the stoves he looked at started from 9 thousand liras and said:
"Stoves are sold at very high prices. Each one costs around 9, 10, 11, even 12 thousand liras. Now, should we think about heating, should we think about buying wood, should we think about buying coal, should we think about dressing? Our students go to school. The financial situation is not the same as before; there is no work. Everything is getting more expensive, but our income does not increase. People have a hard time making ends meet. For example, the price of this stove is 9, 10, 11, 12 thousand liras. "How will we get this? We work all month long, we do business. Even if we earn 20 billion or even 30 billion a month, we still have students, there is electricity, there are other expenses."
"I WILL STAY STARVING SO THAT WE CAN HEAT THE HOUSE"
Raif Baladak, father of four children, who came to buy a stove for the winter, said:
"Today, we cannot even buy a stove. The fee I receive from İŞKUR is 15 thousand liras. I can only buy a stove with this money. I have four children at home. So, how can I meet my children's school needs? I want the authorities to hear our voices. They tell us, 'These stoves cost 15 thousand'. My children have needs too. How will I pay my house rent? How will I meet our water and other needs? If it goes on like this, we cannot make ends meet. While winter lasts two months in other places, we have six months here." "I will have to buy a stove. Besides the wood, I need to buy coal. I will have to spend the money I would like to spend on my child's bread, so I can heat the house."
A citizen named Hamdi Durmaz said, "We cannot use coal, we burn wood. However, fuel prices have at least doubled financially. Four or five years ago, prices used to change every two or three years. Now, prices have been changing every month for the last two or three years. Prices are increasing not only in fuel but in almost everything. While winter lasts two or three months in some places, it lasts six months here. In order to cover this difference, we have to cut back on our other needs, such as children's education and food." he said.
Mevlan Dere, a tradesman who has been selling and producing stoves for about 16 years, said, "Our stove sales have decreased considerably compared to the past. Costs have increased a lot between last year and this year. For example, we are now selling the stove that we sold for 1,000 lira last year for 2 thousand lira. Stove prices vary between 1,000 lira and 15 thousand lira, depending on the quality. People's purchasing power has decreased a lot. In the past, people installed two stoves in one room. "Now he is installing a single stove to heat the whole house," he said.
Open Questions
- Do local governments have a winter aid plan?
- Will there be an audit regarding the increase in fuel prices?
