Playas de Orihuela primary school remains without heating after a gas supply problem linked to an unpaid debt of around 200,000 euros. The school had been connected to a temporary construction gas supply since opening at its current site in 2017, a situation the supplier only identified recently. The Orihuela council is now negotiating how to settle the unexpected bill, which covers eight years of gas use.

At the same time, the council has awarded a one-year interim, or “bridge”, contract worth 16,940 euros to supply heating fuel to 16 of the municipality’s 20 public schools. The contract, described as temporary and urgent, is intended to keep boilers running until a longer-term, multi-year agreement is finalised. Playas de Orihuela is not included because its heating system runs on gas, not diesel, and its boiler has reportedly been broken since March 2024.

The lack of heating has sparked daily protests by families at the school, who say pupils and staff have gone more than 120 days without adequate warmth. The regional education authority has logged the issue, and the Síndic de Greuges has opened an investigation. Parents have also bought portable heaters themselves, while opposition groups criticise the council for delays and poor planning.