Higher pensions and salaries since January did not bring much joy, at least to the residents of the Royal Capital, when they received their water bills this month.
The residents of Cetinje, literally overnight, became citizens of Montenegro who pay by far the most expensive water in the country.
Namely, the price of a cubic meter of water was 43 cents in December last year, while since the beginning of 2025 it has jumped to one euro and 89 cents.
While citizens are outraged, local authorities claim they are working on a solution.
And while citizens struggle with rising living costs, the people of Cetinje, like the residents of many municipalities, have been hit by a new blow to their budget - higher water bills.
A cubic meter of water cost them 2023 cents in December 43, and starting this year they will pay one euro and 89 cents. The people of Cetinje are not hiding their dissatisfaction because of this.
Referring to the methodology prescribed by the Regulatory Agency for Energy and Regulated Utilities, the main reasons for the price hike from the Cetinje water utility are the complexity of water production, which is why electricity costs are high.
The head of the company, Radovan Krunić, explains how much the average bills will now be.
"The average bill for individuals in January 2024 was 22,39 euros. The average bill amount in January 2025, according to our data, is 24,50 euros. As for legal entities, the average bill in January 2024 was 125,30 euros. In January 2025, it is significantly lower, amounting to 66,94 euros," Krunić pointed out.
Regular payers, i.e. residents of Cetinje who do not owe money to Vodovod, will continue to have a discount, the ruling majority of the local parliament announced.
"Unlike other cities, the councilors of the Assembly of the Royal Capital were proactive in this case, reducing, or giving that reduction of 40, and now 50 percent. We will make another decision because we believe it is not right for citizens to pay a higher price for water," said Mirko Stanić (SDP).
While Krunić points out that the number of regular payers is growing, meaning that out of almost five thousand consumers, 3.217 of them have received a discount, citizens claim that the situation on the ground is different.
The electricity debt of the Cetinje Waterworks has been accumulating for years, and a solution to this situation should be sought at the state level, says Stanić.
"This problem cannot be solved at the level of local companies and local self-government, since the budget of the Royal Capital is significantly smaller than that," said Stanić.
"We have kept the total debt at the level it was in 2024, at around 12 million and 800 thousand euros," said Krunić.
The reconstruction of the water supply network began in 2023, and the first phase is underway. Krunić expects the tender for the remaining phases to be announced in March. And until the entire reconstruction is completed, which the people of Cetinje will have to wait a few more years for, they will have to chase zeros on their bills, so that water would at least cost them less that way.
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