The expert told whether some categories of Ukrainians can reduce their electricity tariffs in Ukraine. For the past two years, electricity tariffs for the population have been increasing annually in Ukraine, so Ukrainians are interested in whether their payments will suffer the same fate this year.
UNIAN, together with the head of the Union of Consumers of Public Utilities Oleg Popenk, looked into what electricity prices are now, whether they can increase in the near future, and how you can pay less for electricity.
As is known, the cost of electricity is regulated by the Cabinet of Ministers and is determined by a government resolution on imposing special obligations on electricity market participants. Popenko reminds that since June last year we have new electricity tariffs. According to it, a kilowatt-hour costs 4.32 hryvnias. The price was fixed until October 31 of this year or until it is raised again.
Electricity tariff: how to pay less
The expert notes that government officials have established a preferential tariff for electricity for the population, but it is valid only during the heating season and not for everyone.
“There is a preferential tariff for electricity during the heating period for those who use electricity as the only source of heating,” he added.
For such people, the cost of a kilowatt is 2.64 hryvnias. However, to maintain such a tariff, consumption should not exceed two thousand kilowatt-hours.
This means that Ukrainians who heat their homes with electricity can pay 2.64 hryvnias per kilowatt every month from October 1 to June 30, provided that they use no more than 2 thousand kilowatts per month.
But electricity will not become cheaper by magic. In order to receive a preferential tariff, first of all, according to the algorithm agreed upon by the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Utilities of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine and the State Inspectorate for Energy Supervision of Ukraine, the house must be officially disconnected from centralized heating. This must be confirmed either by an act of disconnection of the house or by a decision of a local government body.
Popenko adds that to apply for such a tariff, it is necessary to contact the “electricity” supplier company. For example, in Kyiv, DTEK.
If a person lives in an apartment building, then the package of documents, according to the expert, is submitted by the condominium association or the manager of such a building, and its list is determined by a government decision. What documents are in question? This is an application for entering information about the presence of electric heating equipment into the distribution point passport. A copy of the power supply project (a document that determines where the electric heating equipment is located) must be attached to the application. In addition, documents on the commissioning of electrical equipment are required. This can be either a technical passport, in which the “type of heating” column indicates electric heating.
Also, owners of apartments or houses who want to connect a preferential electricity tariff must provide a copy of the passport, code and an extract from the register confirming ownership. Therefore, in the case of an apartment, it must be privatized.
If you have the right to electric heating, but the home network cannot withstand it, you can order a project for the reconstruction of electrical networks from energy specialists.
The preferential tariff for the consumer will begin to apply from the 1st of the next billing period after the documents are approved by the energy supplier.
You will most likely not be able to officially heat only your apartment with electricity in an apartment building. The fact is that, according to the order of the Ministry of Regional Development and Housing and Communal Services No. 169, the owner of an apartment in an apartment building has the right to independently disconnect from centralized heating only if, on the day the law “On Housing and Communal Services” comes into force, at least half of the apartments have been disconnected.
The expert also reminded that there is a night tariff for electricity – a special tariff that is half of the existing tariff for electricity and is applied during the hours of minimum load of the energy system (as a rule, from 23:00 to 7:00). To connect it, you must submit an application to the energy supplier and purchase an appropriate dual-tariff meter.
You can save on utilities, and therefore on electricity, even when the electricity bill becomes unaffordable. If the cost of utilities exceeds 15% of your total income, you can apply for a subsidy.
Electricity Tariff Increase
The head of the Union of Consumers of Public Utilities notes that there are no plans to increase electricity tariffs for the population from September 1.
“I have not heard about this and my sources in the Ministry of Energy do not confirm this either. I think that electricity tariffs will not change from September 1,” the expert noted. We add that, according to the government’s decision, the tariff of 4.32 UAH/kilowatt-hour is fixed until the end of October.
