Central Heating in Türkiye: Understanding Shared Heat Charges and Challenging a Calculation

عناقيد · 2026-10-24T01:50:48+0300

Central Heating in Türkiye: Understanding Shared Heat Charges and Challenging a Calculation

Illustrative radiator with a thermostatic valve; no Turkish building is identified. The visible valve is a control, not a heat-cost allocator. Photo: ri / Pixabay, CC0. Image and licence

Information reviewed: 24 October 2026. This practical guide is for tenants and owners in a building or residential complex with shared heating. It explains the statement issued by management or the meter-reading company and what to request when charges rise or a meter fails. There is no single winter bill for all of Türkiye: your charge depends on the building's costs, system, floor areas, readings and billing period.

Identify the system you are paying for

The building's management may receive the gas bill and then allocate its cost among the flats. The document you receive is then a cost-allocation statement — Gider paylaşım belgesi, rather than necessarily an individual gas bill in your name. Knowing the gas supplier's tariff alone is therefore insufficient to check your flat's share.

The original regulation on allocating heating and domestic hot-water expenses, published on 14 April 2008 in Official Gazette supplementary issue 26847, distinguishes building-level central heating from district heating, and radiator devices from heat and hot-water meters. This guide explains the rules from the relevant provisions and official explanations, distinguishing building-level central heating, district heating and domestic hot water.

What does your home have?	How can you identify it?	What should you check?
An individual combi boiler, or kombi	Your appliance normally provides the flat's heating and hot water, with a separate gas account	The supplier's bill and gas-meter reading; radiators alone do not make the 70/30 model applicable
Central heating with a device on each radiator	Small radiator-mounted devices record values used in allocation	Every device assigned to your flat, its readings and how they become your consumption share
Central heating with a heat meter for the flat	A meter on the heating circuit measures energy from flow and temperature difference	Meter number, opening and closing readings and measurement unit
Central domestic hot water	Water is heated outside the flat and its hot-water use is measured	The cost of preparing hot water, separated from space heating and the cost of the water itself
District heating, geothermal supply or a prepaid heat meter	A network supply or a particular technical arrangement	The system, agreement and relevant provision before applying a 70/30 example

A radiator-mounted Isı pay ölçer, or heat-cost allocator, differs from an Isı sayacı / kalorimetre, or heat meter, on the heating circuit. Do not convert the former's displayed values into kilowatt-hours or lira using an assumed universal factor. Ask the company for device information, the reading method and applicable technical coefficients. The Environment Ministry's specialist answers explain that the appropriate measurement method depends on the building's design and characteristics; there is no blanket rule that every old building uses one device and every new one another.

How does 70/30 allocation work?

In the ordinary central system covered by Article 8(1), 70% of total heating expenses is allocated according to the flats' measured heat consumption, and 30% according to the units' usable floor areas. The latter covers heat expenses associated with shared spaces, system losses, minimum heating and operation. It does not mean that every flat pays 30% of the entire building's bill.

In arithmetic terms: your share equals the allocable total heating cost × 70% × your flat's share of total measured consumption, plus the total cost × 30% × your flat's share of all units' usable floor areas. The Ministry's explanation concerning non-use of heating confirms that the common share is calculated from the period's costs in proportion to floor area; it is not a nationally fixed cash amount.

An illustrative lira example, rather than a 2026 tariff

Suppose a building's total heating cost for one period is TRY 100,000, your flat has 100 m² of usable floor area out of a total 2,000 m², and its measured consumption accounts for 4% of the total. The example assumes that hot-water costs have already been separated and that this is the correct heating-cost base, without additional items outside the example.

Component	Calculation	Flat's share
Consumption share	100,000 × 70% × 4%	TRY 2,800
Floor-area share	100,000 × 30% × (100 ÷ 2,000)	TRY 1,500
Total heating charge in the example	2,800 + 1,500	TRY 4,300
If measured consumption falls to 2%, with all other inputs unchanged	1,400 + 1,500	TRY 2,900

Lower consumption does not halve the floor-area share, but it reduces the reading-related part in this example. In practice, building costs and total readings change from month to month. You might use fewer measured units yet pay more if fuel costs change, the period is longer or operating expenses rise. Compare the inputs as well as the final amount.

Do not substitute your ownership share in the property's land for enclosed usable floor area merely because it appears on the title deed. Request the area used, its supporting record and the total area, and check that it belongs to the correct unit. Likewise, do not divide the 30% equally by the number of flats when their areas differ and this rule applies.

Is an empty flat exempt, and what does 15°C mean?

A household's absence or an empty flat does not make its share zero. The floor-area share continues under the applicable system, and actual consumption may still be needed to maintain temperature. Article 5(6) requires the indoor spaces of centrally heated units to be set to a minimum of 15°C. The Ministry expressly confirms this when answering a question about an empty flat in its official questions and answers.

The Ministry's answer about minimum heating also explains that the initial heat needed to bring the system into operation, included in the common share, differs from the energy a flat consumes to maintain 15°C, which enters its measured consumption. The presence of both components does not itself establish double charging. The statement still needs checking if a particular amount has been included twice.

This is room-air temperature, rather than boiler-water temperature or a universal numbered setting on every valve. Paying a common share does not authorise closing all radiators regardless of how cold the flat becomes. Before travelling, arrange suitable controls and follow-up for heating or valve faults with management and a technician. Do not remove measuring devices or their seals.

If the statement includes a “15-degree difference”, penalty or substantial estimated consumption, ask how the problem was established, the basis of the action, any competent authority's decision and the calculation used. The ministerial clarification on authorised measurement companies and allocation work distinguishes faults from manipulation and indicates that there is no single nationwide reference heat value that achieves 15°C in every flat: building characteristics differ. It does not establish a fixed penalty or universal formula, and merely calling an addition a “15°C difference” does not prove that a particular charge is valid.

Domestic hot water has a separate calculation

Article 8(4) in the official copy retained by the Sivas provincial directorate provides for total domestic hot-water expenses to be allocated according to measured consumption. Do not automatically apply 70/30 to every item labelled “hot water”.

Where the same boiler supplies space heating and hot water, the consumption used to prepare hot water must first be separated before space-heating expenses are determined. The Ministry's clarification of measurement and allocation explains that the calculation differs according to whether the hot-water system is independent or shares a boiler, with a particular arrangement for months without space-heating consumption. Hot-water costs are calculated by the prescribed method, and a remaining fuel-cost difference may be allocated by floor area. A shared charge in summer therefore does not, on its own, prove that the flat's radiators were running or that the statement is wrong.

For a separate illustrative example, suppose the established allocable hot-water cost is TRY 12,000 and your flat uses 3 m³ out of a total 60 m³. Its share of that cost base is TRY 600: 12,000 × 3 ÷ 60. This is not your city's price per cubic metre, nor does it automatically include the cold-water supply charge or another separately charged item. Keep units consistent: 3 m³ equals 3,000 litres. Do not compare your flat's litres with the building's cubic metres without conversion.

Request a clear separation between the cost of water and the energy used to heat it. Check that the same fuel cost has not been included in full in space heating and then charged again under hot water. This is a method of checking the arithmetic; establishing an actual error requires the period's statement and management's supporting records.

What should the statement contain?

Article 5(7) of the original regulation specifies user and address details, areas, period, reading, issue and due dates; previous and current readings and their difference; heating, hot-water and total calculation tables; building costs, their separation, percentages and the flat's share. Article 5(8) provides for a summary of allocation statements to be displayed on the building entrance noticeboard for at least three days. That is a display period, rather than an objection deadline after which every right disappears.

Information group	Practical cross-check	What to request if missing
Flat and device identification	The address, unit number, meter or radiators belong to your home	The record assigning numbered devices to flats
Period and dates	The start, end, reading, issue and due dates are consistent	Correction of the period or an explanation of an estimated reading
Consumption	Current reading minus previous reading, with units and applicable coefficients explained	The original reading record and an explanation of adjustments
Overall cost	Fuel and operating bills relate to the period, with hot water separated where required	Invoices and an itemised calculation of the allocation base
Shares	The consumption and usable-floor-area proportions and resulting total	A checkable calculation with total readings and areas
Additional items	Reading, maintenance, adjustment or earlier debt is identified	The item description, supporting document, decision or contract and period, without duplicate charging

A higher heating charge does not prove that the meter-reading company sold you gas at the wrong price. The building's fuel total, your recorded floor area, device number, consumption or allocation basis may have changed. Similarly, a bill resembling your neighbour's is insufficient to establish whether either calculation is correct.

What happens when a device fails or the occupant changes?

Where a device fault or similar reason prevents correct measurement, Article 11(1) gives two bases for determining the share: the unit's consumption in earlier comparable allocation periods, or that of other similar units in the same period. The provision is published in the official Sivas copy. An unreadable display does not establish zero consumption, and an estimated reading does not give the company freedom to choose any amount.

Notify management and the reading company in writing, identifying the device, providing a display photograph and stating when the problem was noticed. Request an inspection report, the reason and period for the estimate, its comparison basis and arrangements for repair. Do not dismantle the device to prove that it does not work. If some radiators were never registered or were changed after device installation, request a technical matching check rather than adding arbitrary readings.

When someone moves in or out during a billing cycle, Article 11(2) provides for an intermediate reading on the changeover date and two statements at the end of the cycle. Where an intermediate reading is not technically possible or cannot be taken because of the timing, the charge is divided according to days of use, with two statements issued. Record the key and meter handover and the dates your occupancy starts and ends. Send them to management before the cycle closes rather than waiting for a dispute with the previous occupant.

For tenants, send the owner a copy and distinguish consumption during your occupation from earlier debt or a project to replace the entire installation. Examine the lease, the nature of the item and who is requesting payment. The word Aidat alone does not establish that every operating or construction cost is yours. For owners, letting a flat or leaving it empty does not remove it from the building's calculation. Request a settlement of periods and identify the contractual allocation agreed. These are record-keeping steps, rather than permission to deduct a disputed sum from rent unilaterally.

A practical objection process based on records and inspection

Begin with the building manager or management board and whoever issued the reading statement. Send a request whose delivery you can prove, identifying the building, flat, period, amount, numerical discrepancy and specific remedy requested: an itemised calculation, device inspection, floor-area correction, hot-water separation or settlement for a change of occupant.

A practical wording is: “Please review the heating-cost allocation statement for period …, unit … . It shows …, whereas the reading/floor area/handover date is … . I attach … and request copies of the readings and the basis used to allocate the building's costs, an inspection report where needed, and a written correction or reasoned reply.” Write in Turkish or attach a clear translation if management needs one, retaining the originals, receipts and photographs. This is a suggested organisational template, rather than an official government form or a ready-made judicial notice.

Problem	First request	Next step if unresolved
Incorrect reading, device number or floor area	Documented correction by management and the measurement company	Technical inspection and a corrected statement showing the effect
Failure to follow the allocation basis	The calculation and provision or decision relied on	Raise it with the owner and owners' board; seek the Ministry's written opinion if application of the regulation is unclear
Technical fault or inadequate heat reaching the flat	A technical report request recording room temperatures, time and radiator condition	Inspection by a qualified technical provider; comparison with a neighbour's bill alone proves neither the fault nor its cause
A financial dispute or board decision unresolved by review	Preserve statements, correspondence and meeting records	Identify the legal route, standing and deadlines, followed by mediation and proceedings where applicable

Article 4 distinguishes the project and implementation oversight of the authorities empowered to issue building permits from the Ministry's authorisation and supervision of measurement companies. A complaint to a gas supplier about an individual bill is not automatically a substitute for reviewing an internal allocation issued by management. If the regulation's application is unclear, Article 13(2) provides for obtaining the Ministry's opinion in writing. Ask your province's Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Directorate to direct the request to the competent unit, explaining that it concerns heating allocation and identifying the company. Do not publish neighbours' private information.

Where the dispute falls within the covered condominium or tenancy categories, the Justice Ministry's mediation department explains that applying for mediation before bringing proceedings became a prerequisite for the specified categories from 1 September 2023. Apply to the courthouse mediation office, or, where there is none, the court registry assigned that function. The page states that the office application itself has no fee. Mediation fees, court proceedings, experts and lawyers are not all free, however: costs depend on the tariff and case, and no invented all-inclusive figure is given here.

Article 33 and Additional Article 1 of Law 634, in the officially indexed text, address the jurisdiction of civil courts of peace and particular deadlines for proceedings to annul an owners' board decision: one month from the decision date for an attendee who voted against it under the provision's conditions; for someone absent, one month from learning of the decision, with a maximum of six months from the decision, subject to the exceptions for a legally non-existent or absolutely void decision. These are not one universal deadline for objecting to any bill, nor do they alone establish every tenant's standing or the route for every claim. Calculating them and the effect of mediation requires identifying the dispute. If you receive enforcement or court documents, do not wait through repeated correspondence: show them promptly to a lawyer to identify their particular deadline.

Do not assume that sending an objection cancels the due date or suspends all consequences of delay, or that paying makes a calculation error impossible to examine. Request written treatment of the disputed part and obtain legal help on the appropriate course if agreement is impossible. This guide also does not authorise management to disconnect heating to collect a debt, or a resident to disconnect their flat from the system. A particular measure needs its own basis and the relevant party's powers; minimum temperature, documentation and allocation are separate questions.

Inspection and reading costs: what to request before agreeing

The sources read do not establish a nationwide fixed price for every inspection visit, device or reading. If technical work is needed, request a quote specifying device type, quantity, work, parts, taxes, who pays, warranty terms and whether earlier data will be corrected if an error is established. General retail prices for different devices do not determine your flat's charge.

The specialist directorate's answers about operation explain that the allocation base may include heating-related minor maintenance, separately measurable water and electricity for the system, and measurement and adjustment expenses. Ask how these items are included to avoid duplicate collection. The same answer excludes boiler replacement, major repairs, personnel expenses and items such as Aidat from this definition of operating expenses in the allocation formula. That does not mean no separate obligation for such costs can arise outside that formula. Do not automatically combine the heat calculation with every expense of the residential complex. For each significant financial request, check the unit: per device, flat, reading or visit, together with the quotation date and what is included.

Frequently confused questions

Do I pay only for what appears on the radiator device?

No. The reading is used to allocate the consumption-related part, and the floor-area share is added in the ordinary central system. The building's cost and total readings are also needed; your device's displayed value alone does not give a price.

Is 15°C a recommended healthy comfort temperature for every household?

It is the minimum in the central-system operating rule. It is not a recommendation that every household live at that temperature or a guarantee that it is sufficient for children or older people. Set comfort according to occupants' needs and appliance and technical-service guidance, while observing the system's rules.

The radiator is cold but the charge is high. Can I cancel payment?

Document the cold conditions and time, and request inspection. There may be an operating, valve, measurement or account-data issue. The floor-area share is distinct from whether heat reaches a particular flat. That observation alone does not determine the debt or compensation.

Is the 30% share a fixed lira amount throughout the year?

The percentage is fixed in the applicable model, while the amount depends on the period's total expense, the unit's area and the total area. Calling it “fixed” on a statement does not establish a nationally fixed cash price.

Does 70/30 apply to a district-heating network?

Do not generalise. Article 8(2) specifies a 20% floor-area share for district heating, while Article 9 addresses other arrangements for prepaid meters and certain geothermal systems. Establish the system's classification before comparing figures or objecting.

Can I remove a measuring device because I dispute the charge?

Article 5(2) requires users to allow the installation of measuring equipment and prohibits user interference outside fault and maintenance situations. Arrange handling through the competent provider and pursue the objection through records and inspection.

Does a consumer arbitration committee handle every demand from management?

Do not assume one dispute forum applies to everything. An internal allocation between owners and management differs from a company service contract or a tenancy dispute. Identify the parties and nature of the claim before choosing a route, using the official mediation guidance for covered disputes.

What should I obtain before taking over a centrally heated flat?

Request a recent statement and one from an earlier winter for comparison, measurement type, area used, what Aidat includes, device numbers and handover readings, and the fault-reporting procedure. A previous bill reflects that flat's circumstances and consumption; it does not guarantee a fixed price for you.

Central Heating in Türkiye: Understanding Shared Heat Charges and Challenging a Calculation

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