Officials in Ulaanbaatar say they are working on a plan to reduce electric rates by up to 50 percent for households that use electric heaters. This is part of a larger effort to reduce air pollution in the city. Already, low-smoke stoves are being made available to households at reduced prices.

T.Tserenpurev, the chief of the energy policy board of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, told the newspaper Mongoliin Medee that the board is formulating rules for the electric rate reduction. The rules will be submitted to the Government, which will determine how to pay for the program.

Officials are also considering widening the “no smoke” zone in the city. But studies have shown that electric power plants would need to increase output substantially to meet the demand brought on by the switch to electric heaters.