Why does every flat heat itself?
A new flat in Tbilisi or Batumi almost always has heating of its own: a boiler on the kitchen wall, air conditioners or cables under the floor. There is no city network to join. A World Bank energy study of Tbilisi, made with the ESMAP programme's TRACE tool, says the district heating network served over 83% of the city's 1.2 million people and was dismantled overnight in 1993. Geostat's household energy survey for May 2021 to May 2022 found no household on building or district heating. Our glossary entry on central heating in Georgia gives the survey's shares and explains what the term means in a listing.
So the heating is your own equipment, your own account and your own servicing, chosen by the developer before handover.
Which systems are found in new flats?
- Gas combi boiler with radiators. A wall-hung boiler, usually about 24 kW, heats the radiators and the tap water. Geostat counted this system in 25.6% of urban households in 2021-22, and gas heats the tap water in 87.8% of urban homes.
- Water underfloor loops on the same boiler. Pipes in the screed, fed through a manifold, instead of some or all radiators.
- Electric underfloor heating. Mats or cables under the floor finish, common in bathrooms.
- Split air conditioners in heating mode. Air-to-air heat pumps; developers' adverts suggest they are a common choice in Batumi towers. In buildings under Government Resolution No 354 of 2021 (permits applied for after 30 June 2022), cooling units in climate zones 1 and 2 must be reversible, so they can also heat.
- A boiler house for the whole building. Geostat's definition of central heating includes building boilers, but we found no Tbilisi or Batumi complex where a shared boiler house with a heat meter in each flat is documented. If a developer offers one, ask for the design and for how each flat's share is measured.
Geostat does not record heat pumps as a heating type, and 81.6% of urban households had no air-conditioned space in 2021-22, so how many flats are heated this way is unknown.
How do the systems compare side by side?
| System | Install cost | Running cost basis | Upkeep | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas combi boiler and radiators | 24 kW boiler GEL 1,799-3,508; 600x1000 mm steel radiator GEL 252.27; fitting GEL 150 boiler, GEL 100 per radiator | Gas per m³, one price per m³ in 2026; volume bands allowed by law, not yet set | Yearly service; flue and ventilation checks | 2014 gas safety regulation; smart meter; carbon monoxide alarm in newer buildings |
| Water underfloor on the boiler | Boiler as above plus pipes and manifold; laying GEL 65 per m² | Gas, at low water temperatures | Boiler service; loops sit under the floor | As for the boiler; water heating flow capped at 60 °C in Resolution No 354 buildings |
| Electric underfloor | No store price found (Gorgia's category was empty on 3 November 2026) | Electricity, monthly bands | Little; no flue | No gas rules |
| Split air conditioner | 12,000 BTU inverter unit GEL 942.18; fitting GEL 250-270 | Electricity, several units of heat per unit used | Filters; outdoor unit access | Must be reversible in Resolution No 354 buildings |
Room heaters are left out because developers do not install them as a system. A building boiler house could not be priced, and we found no lari price for an air-to-water heat pump that feeds radiators or floors.
Why does a Tbilisi flat need more heat than a Batumi flat?
Engineers must design heating with the climate data of PN 01.05-08 "Building climatology", approved by ministerial order on 25 August 2008. Its Table 11 gives the design heating season: the days when the daily mean temperature is at or below 8 °C.
| Station | January mean | Heating days | Mean in those days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi, Vake | 0.5 °C | 145 | 3.4 °C |
| Tbilisi, Observatory | 1.0 °C | 131 | 3.3 °C |
| Batumi, city | 7.1 °C | 75 | 7.1 °C |
Batumi airport has 72 days. The coldest five days average -8 °C at Vake and -1 °C in Batumi city.
Our estimate: multiplying the heating days by the gap between 18 °C and the season's mean gives about 2,120 degree-days for Vake, 1,930 for the Observatory and 820 for Batumi, so the same flat needs roughly 2.4 to 2.6 times as much heat in Tbilisi. PN 01.05-08 publishes no degree-days; this is our calculation. In Tbilisi the gas price therefore matters most, while Batumi's mild season suits air conditioners. Our guide to living in Batumi all year covers the rest of its winter.
What does a household pay for gas today?
JAMnews reported on 30 October 2026 that Tbilisi Energy's household customers pay 53.971 tetri per m³ and SOCAR Georgia Gas customers, including Batumi, pay 56.928 tetri, VAT included: about GEL 0.54 and GEL 0.57. Every cubic metre costs the same, whatever the monthly volume. These are the regulator's tariff lines plus 18% VAT, our check: GNERC Resolution No 68 of 29 December 2025 sets 45.738 tetri for Tbilisi Energy, and GNERC Resolution No 65 of the same date sets 48.244 tetri for SOCAR Georgia Gas, both from 1 January 2026 to 1 January 2028.
Weather drives the bill. A Tbilisi Energy engineer told Radio Tavisupleba in February 2026 that a boiler set to 45 °C costs about GEL 100 a month at +4 °C outside and GEL 150 at -3 °C, roughly 185 m³ and 278 m³ by our arithmetic. No official figure for winter use by flat size exists that we found. See the running costs of a let flat for the other bills.
Why may gas prices change soon?
Parliament passed Law No 1903-VIმს-XIმპ at third reading on 28 October 2026, by 75 votes to 5 according to JAMnews. It was signed the same day, published on Matsne on 29 October and took effect on publication. It amends Article 163 of the Law on Energy and Water Supply: until 1 January 2038 GNERC may set different tariffs for household gas customers according to consumption (for water, until 1 January 2036). A co-sponsor said those who use more will pay more.
- Not yet decided. GNERC has adopted no volume bands or prices; its gas tariff resolutions on Matsne were unchanged on 3 November 2026. GNERC's chair said gas and water tariffs would be reviewed in December.
- Who it would hit. Analysts warn that a monthly limit like electricity's would push gas-heated homes into higher bands in winter. That is commentary, not a decision.
- An open conflict. JAMnews quotes GNERC's chair (21 October 2026) as saying the gas tariffs expire in December, but Resolutions No 68 and No 65 run to 1 January 2028. We could not confirm which applies to households.
Every gas price on this page was correct on 3 November 2026 and may change once GNERC decides. A large flat heated entirely by gas through Tbilisi's long season is the home a volume-based price would affect most.
What does electric heat cost, and where do heat pumps fit?
| Monthly use | Telmico (Tbilisi) | EP Georgia Supply (Batumi) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 101 kWh | 20.041 | 19.731 |
| 101 to 301 kWh | 24.053 | 23.707 |
| Above 301 kWh | 28.537 | 28.227 |
We assume each price applies only to the kWh inside its band; billing of the whole month at the higher price is not ruled out.
Our arithmetic per kWh of energy: the 2014 gas safety regulation defines natural gas as at least 31.8 MJ per m³, about 8.8 kWh, so at GEL 0.54 gas costs at most about GEL 0.06 per kWh. Heaters and electric floors turn 1 kWh of electricity into 1 kWh of heat at about GEL 0.24 to 0.29 in the upper bands, roughly 4 to 5 times more. The International Energy Agency wrote in 2022 that heat pumps are three to five times more energy efficient than gas boilers. Assuming an air conditioner gives 3 kWh of heat per kWh used over a season, its heat costs about GEL 0.08 to 0.10 per kWh, somewhat more than gas but far less than direct electric heat.
What does a boiler and radiator system cost to fit?
Gorgia listed 43 central heating boilers on 3 November 2026; wall-hung 24 kW gas models on its first page cost GEL 1,799 to 3,508, some with a flue kit. Other shops' listings in search results start at about GEL 1,500. The store does not say which models are condensing, so ask the seller in writing. Steel panel radiators cost GEL 126.63 (600x400 mm) to GEL 352.83 (600x1400 mm), with no heat output shown, so an engineer should size them. Renovare, a Tbilisi contractor, charges GEL 150 to fit a boiler, GEL 100 per radiator and GEL 50 per pipe point.
Our example with five 600x1000 mm radiators: boiler GEL 1,799-3,508, radiators GEL 1,261.35 and labour GEL 900 (boiler, five radiators, five pipe points) come to about GEL 3,960 to 5,670, before pipe materials, flue work and any gas connection fee. It is our calculation, not a quote. The renovation cost calculator adds heating to a finishing budget.
When does underfloor heating make sense?
Water loops on a boiler give even warmth and run at low water temperatures, which suits condensing boilers and heat pumps. Buildings under Resolution No 354 may not design water heating for a flow above 60 °C, and 55/45 °C is recommended. The loops warm slowly, so they suit a home lived in daily more than a weekend flat. Electric mats are cheap to lay but billed at banded electricity prices, so they fit a bathroom, not a whole Tbilisi flat. Both sit in the screed: get a drawing of where they run before anyone drills. The glossary entry on underfloor heating works through the monthly cost of an electric floor.
Can a high-rise tower have gas?
Yes; we found no height limit on gas in Georgian homes. The abstract of a 2023 doctoral thesis from the Georgian Technical University notes that several countries ban gas above 10 storeys, that Georgia had a similar limit until the 1990s, and that today gas reaches almost every high-rise. In the Tbilisi blocks the author measured, gas pressure almost doubled between the 10th and 16th floors, and the thesis proposes stabilisers on the riser. Buying high up, ask how riser pressure is controlled. Towers without gas, seen mainly in Batumi, are a developer's choice; we found no rule requiring them. There, check the electrical capacity allocated to the flat.
What do the safety rules require from the owner of a gas-heated flat?
- Government Resolution No 101 of 22 January 2014, on general safety requirements for gas systems. Article 18: the owner and the servicing gas company must have ventilation and flues checked in time, and residents are responsible for the safe operation of household gas appliances. Article 19: appliances in homes are serviced by the gas supply company or an appropriately qualified person. Article 20: the owner must have flues checked periodically, and anyone who finds a flue unfit must warn the consumer that gas appliances may not be used. No interval is set.
- GNERC Resolution No 12 of 9 July 2009, the gas supply rules. Article 6(2): a new or repaired appliance's connection is checked by the distributor before use; Article 6(4): supply is refused to appliances without a declaration or certificate of conformity. They lose force on 1 January 2027, when GNERC's retail market rules (Resolution No 60 of 2021) take effect; we did not find these checks there and have not checked other acts.
- Government Resolution No 41 of 28 January 2016, the building safety rules. Subchapter 908.7 requires single-station carbon monoxide alarms in residential occupancies in buildings with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage; the exceptions cover only units without such an appliance or garage of their own. The rules cover Class III to V buildings, not projects agreed, applied for or permitted before 16 November 2017.
Since 1 October 2024, new buildings in Georgia's self-governing cities, including Tbilisi and Batumi, must have smart gas meters. Our page on building safety in new apartment blocks covers smoke alarms and fire systems.
Seven heating questions for the developer
- System. Boiler and radiators, underfloor loops, air conditioners, or only pipes?
- Gas. Is the building connected, and who pays the flat's connection fee?
- Boiler. Make, output, condensing or not, with conformity papers?
- Flue. Where does it exit, and who checks shared flue ducts?
- Alarm and meter. Is a carbon monoxide alarm fitted, and is the gas meter smart?
- Permit date. It decides whether the 2017 safety rules and the 2022 energy rules apply.
- Drawings. Will you get plans of the pipes, loops and cables?
Put the answers in the specification annex. Heating differs widely between frames, as our guide to black, white and green frame shows, and the page on what the specification must say covers the wording.
What we could not confirm
Ask a lawyer or heating engineer before relying on any of these, unconfirmed on 3 November 2026:
- Any Tbilisi or Batumi complex with a shared boiler house and per-flat heat meters.
- A register of certified boiler installers; the 2014 regulation speaks only of a qualified person.
- The act that bans open-combustion gas water heaters.
- Typical winter gas use by flat size, and lari prices for air-to-water heat pumps.
- How electricity bands are billed, and the gas bands GNERC will set.
Risks and exceptions
- Budgeting on today's gas price. The law now allows volume-based tariffs, and GNERC's review is due in December 2026.
- Heating a Tbilisi flat with resistance heating. It can push the flat into the top electricity band all winter.
- Altering a flue. A faulty flue means the gas appliances must not be used.
- No carbon monoxide alarm by the boiler. Generally required where the 2016 rules apply, sensible everywhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Is there district heating in Tbilisi or Batumi?
No. Tbilisi's network was dismantled in 1993, and Geostat found no household on district or building heating in 2021-22.
Which heating is cheapest to run?
On our arithmetic at November 2026 prices, gas is cheapest per unit of heat, an air conditioner in heating mode costs somewhat more, and direct electric heating costs roughly 4 to 5 times more than gas.
How much does gas cost?
53.971 tetri per m³ in Tbilisi and 56.928 tetri with SOCAR Georgia Gas, VAT included (30 October 2026); GNERC's review is due in December 2026.
Is air conditioning enough in Batumi?
Often, as Batumi's design heating season is 72 to 75 days at about 7 °C; Tbilisi's is almost twice as long and colder.
Is a carbon monoxide alarm required?
In residential buildings with fuel-burning appliances under the 2016 building safety rules, generally yes; elsewhere it is advisable.
Sources
- Tbilisi, Georgia: TRACE city energy study, World Bank / ESMAP, not dated (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Energy Consumption in Households, Geostat, 2022 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- PN 01.05-08 Building climatology, Minister of Economic Development, 25 August 2008 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Gas tariff is changing (in Georgian), JAMnews, 30 October 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- GNERC authorized to introduce tiered tariffs, Sova, 28 October 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Law No 1903-VIმს-XIმპ amending the Law on Energy and Water Supply, Parliament of Georgia, 28 October 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- GNERC Resolution No 68 on natural gas tariffs, GNERC, 29 December 2025 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- GNERC Resolution No 65 on natural gas tariffs, GNERC, 29 December 2025 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Why gas bills rose in winter, Radio Tavisupleba, 10 February 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GNERC releases official information on new electricity tariffs, 1TV, 30 March 2026 (accessed 14 October 2026)
- The Future of Heat Pumps, International Energy Agency, 2022 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Central heating boilers, Gorgia, 3 November 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Radiators, Gorgia, 3 November 2026 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Price list, Renovare, not dated (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Gas supply of high-rise buildings, thesis abstract (in Georgian), Georgian Technical University, 2023 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Resolution No 101, gas system safety, Government of Georgia, 22 January 2014 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Resolution No 12, gas supply and consumption rules, GNERC, 9 July 2009 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Resolution No 41, building safety rules, Government of Georgia, 28 January 2016 (accessed 3 November 2026)
- Smart gas meters in all new buildings from October 1, Georgia Today, 25 July 2024 (accessed 3 November 2026)
Change log
- - Comparison published from Geostat, PN 01.05-08, GNERC tariff resolutions, the gas tariff law of 28 October 2026, store prices and the gas and building safety regulations.