People’s Deputy Oleksiy Kucherenko said in a conversation with journalists that if the electricity tariff increases by as much as the hryvnia, then nothing fatal will happen.
They have been discussing increasing electricity tariffs for the public for a week in Ukraine. And the large-scale destruction of energy facilities by Russian missiles and drones, which began in October 2022, is a rather serious argument for change. Although the electricity payment in Ukraine is 3-4 times lower than in neighboring countries. This was announced on April 20, 2023 by the First Deputy Chairman of the Energy, Housing and Community Services Committee of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksiy Kucherenko in the broadcast of a telethon on the 1 + 1 channel.
“Even if the tariff per hryvnia rises, more than half of our population consumes up to 150 kWh. They will pay another 150 hryvnia per month. Well, let’s say this: it is not fatal,” he said.
According to him, low-income Ukrainians will not feel the increase in tariffs, as they will cover the cost of paying for electricity with subsidies.
When will Ukrainians announce new electricity tariffs
According to Olga Babiy, representative of the National Commission for state regulation in energy and utilities, the commission will introduce new electricity tariffs for consumers in late April or early May. He also noted that if the cost of kilowatt-hours for industrial consumers and businesses is now 6 hryvnia, then the cost for the population will still be much lower, she said.
Olga Babiy said, “The key factor in the realization of these processes is the availability of money to produce electricity. It is not produced from air. It is fuel, it is people’s salary.”
Previously Focus Konstantin Ushchapovsky, head of the State Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NKREKU), wrote that he noted that the calculation of electricity tariffs will be made taking into account the destruction in the energy sector. According to him, due to Russia’s attacks on Ukrenergo and Energoatom facilities, it will be as problematic as before to cover the difference in electricity costs and the state will have to look for a way out of this situation.
Meanwhile, some analysts, estimating the level of inflation in Ukraine for 2023, are already considering an increase in tariffs for the population as the base scenario. Elena Bilan, head of analytics and chief economist at Dragon Capital investment firm, commented specifically. Focus talked about the expectation of a 20% increase in tariffs for utilities this year.
Source: Focus
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