Energy Headlines

Energy efficiency and energy independency are among the topmost priorities for Ukraine today. Why these issues are crucial and how they should be solved were the questions raised by the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Regional Development, Building, Housing and Communal Services VolodymyrGroysman during a panel discussion of energy efficiency issues in the framework of Sweden-Ukraine Business Forum.

According to him, the Soviet system, which has been in effect until recently, with low prices for energy carriers and loss-making tariffs which were compensated from the state budget, deprived citizens of any stimuli to increase efficiency in consuming energy resources.

“The Government had recently adopted a hard but crucial decision on gradual transition of tariffs to those complying with the price the energy resources are bought for. I consider such standard pay increase is an extra motivation for the people, making them understand that it is necessary to economize and pay less,” the Vice Prime Minister said.

Among the prerequisites of rational energy consumption, according to the Vice Prime Minister, is also enhanced capacity of the local communities. “Nowadays opportunities of communities, municipalities are seriously restricted, it is difficult for them to solve energy efficiency problems through low financing allocated for upgrading, in particular, of the housing sector and communal economy. Hence, our task is to create conditions for this problem to be solved as fast as possible and to determine mechanisms of raising loans,” he stressed.

Volodymyr Hroysman informed that his ministry designs certain laws called to provide an opportunity for the citizens residing in multi-flat buildings approve joint decisions, notably, to facilitate raising loans for thermal modernization of their homes. Moreover, the Ministry of Regional Development is engaged into combined activity with other concerned ministries in order to simplify access of municipalities to cheap loans of international financial institutions.

“Energy independence is a national security issue of today, hence it should be and will be solved,” Volodymyr Hroysman stressed.

http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/publish/article?art_id=247371660&cat_id=244314975