New electricity tariffs: Ukrainians told when to expect increases

Considering the difficult situation in the energy sector due to missile attacks on critical facilities by the Russian Armed Forces, electricity tariffs for Ukrainians will be reviewed, for which the public has been warned more than once. Such an increase is likely to occur. From 1 June or 1 July 2023energy expert Gennady Ryabtsev said on the broadcast of 1+1 TV channel on May 7.

He noted that neither they nor the state has other resources to allow the energy system to be restored, so they are now working at the expense of energy companies.

“Unfortunately, the only way out of this situation is to raise prices. Raising prices to 5-10 UAH per kWh is an unbearable increase for most households. Therefore, various options are currently being proposed to increase the cost of energy resources, in particular, their price is 1.44- It raises it from UAH 1.68 to UAH 2.4-2.8 per kWh,” he says.

According to him, there are other options, but the Cabinet will not forget the Ukrainians who find themselves in financial difficulties due to the war and cannot pay their electricity bills. Some adjustments will probably be made for settlements close to the front as well.

“This decision (raising electricity prices – ed.) will be quite balanced. Therefore, I cannot give any guarantee that the price increase will be from June 1st. Maybe it will be delayed,” said Gennady Ryabtsev.

Recall that according to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated April 25, 2023, the current electricity tariffs for household consumers will be valid until May 31.

“The government is maintaining the discounted electricity price for the public for another month,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at the time.

Thus, until the end of spring, Ukrainians will pay for electricity at old prices, namely:

• 1.44 UAH per 1 kWh (including VAT) – for households consuming up to 250 kWh (inclusive) per month;
• UAH 1.68 per 1 kWh (including VAT) for households consuming more than 250 kWh (inclusive) per month.

Meanwhile, the head of NEURC Konstantin Ushchapovsky said on May 5 that the economically justified price of electricity for the population is now more than 6 UAH per kWh. According to him, the fixed price is kept at a preferential level due to the mechanism for imposing special taxes on state-owned electricity generators – Energoatom and Ukrhidroenergo.