In Ukraine, at the beginning of summer, electricity tariffs for the population increased significantly, but prices for other housing and communal services remained unchanged. “Apostrophe” found out what utilities might become more expensive in the last summer month.
With or without a moratorium
In Ukraine, a moratorium on increasing housing and utility tariffs has been introduced for the duration of martial law. In fact, this is not entirely true - during war it is prohibited to increase tariffs only for heating, hot water and gas distribution. Accordingly, prices for all other housing and communal services can be raised.
In this regard, the question arises: should Ukrainians expect “surprises” in this area from August 1?
Let's start with electricity. In case anyone has forgotten, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, electricity tariffs for the population have increased twice. The first time this happened was on June 1, 2023 - the price of 1 kilowatt-hour increased to 2.64 hryvnia (before that, the tariff was 1.44 hryvnia for consumption up to 250 kilowatt-hours per month and 1.68 hryvnia for higher consumption). The price of electricity increased again on June 1, 2024 – to 4.32 hryvnia per 1 kilowatt-hour.
The tariff set at the beginning of summer should be in force until May next year, and the government, as of July 31 of this year, had not revised it. This means that the price of electricity for the population will not change from August 1.
Next on the list of housing and communal services we will supply gas. Since June 2022, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, as the “supplier of last resort,” has been providing gas to more than 97% of the population of our country. Ukrainians pay the monopolist 7.96 hryvnia for each cubic meter. For other suppliers, prices vary between 7.7-9.99 hryvnia per 1 cubic meter of gas.
The good news is that from August 1st gas tariffs will remain unchanged.
Selective water
Next, we move on to cold water, since, let us remind you, hot water should not rise in price until the end of the moratorium.
Unlike many other housing and communal services in Ukraine, there is no single tariff for cold water, and it is set individually for each water utility. Since the beginning of the war, the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utilities (NCRECU) has planned to increase tariffs at least twice, and even published corresponding draft resolutions, but in the end the government did not approve them.
The regulator is not going to centrally increase prices for cold water supply from August 1 this year, however, this applies to large cities, while in small settlements local authorities have the right to revise water prices. And some of them are going to take advantage of this right.
Thus, an increase in prices for cold water supply from August 1 is reported on the website of the Pidgaitsevskaya community in the Volyn region - 1 cubic meter of water there will cost 22.31 hryvnia.
The Nemishaevsky Village Council in the Kyiv region also announced plans to increase the tariff on its website. They propose to raise the price to 56.55 hryvnia per 1 cubic meter of water. For comparison, today in Kyiv household consumers pay 30.4 hryvnia.
The authorities of Zmiev in the Kharkov region also reported the need to increase the tariff for two villages in the community - from 15 to 36 hryvnia per 1 cubic meter of water.
In all the examples given, utility companies that report to communities justify their proposals by increasing costs, as well as by the fact that their tariffs have not changed for several years.
Of course, this is far from an exhaustive list of settlements in which the cost of cold water supply will increase from August 1, but we can confidently talk about targeted tariff increases.
Houses and trash
Another service that will rise in price next month is maintenance of apartment buildings.
There is also no single tariff, and each utility company sets it independently.
Apostrophe wrote earlier that this utility service will become more expensive. This is due, first of all, to the increase in the cost of electricity for the population from June 1, since the costs of service companies to provide lighting in entrances, operation of elevators, and pumps are tied to it.
The predicted increase in this tariff is 10-20%, however, for example, in Chernigov, several utility companies are increasing the price by 40% from August 1. Utilities explain this increase by a significant rise in price for the materials they need to prepare for the next heating season.
However, the increase in tariffs for servicing apartment buildings also does not promise to be a mass phenomenon. The same goes for garbage disposal. By the way, Chernigov has again come to light on this issue - the decision to increase the tariff for the removal of household waste was recently approved by the executive committee of the city council. However, similar decisions were made in some other communities.
Thus, it can be stated that in the last month of summer, tariffs for basic housing and communal services in Ukraine will remain unchanged. At the same time, residents of some settlements will receive increases for certain types of housing and communal services, and those who are especially “lucky” will receive increases for several services at once.
