Inspections will be carried out at nine regional energy companies.
The National Commission, which carries out state regulation in the spheres of energy and communal services (NKREKU), plans to conduct unscheduled inspections of regional energy companies in a number of regions of Ukraine. Distribution system operators will be checked for adherence to power outage schedules.
As reported by the regulator’s press service, such a decision was made at the NCREKU meeting on December 27 on the basis of appeals from household consumers regarding violations of these schedules. 9 operators of distribution systems were targeted by the regulator.
Vinnytsyaoblenergo, Zakarpattiaoblenergo, Ternopiloblenergo, Khmelnytskoblenergo, Lvivoblenergo, Poltavaoblenergo, DTEK Odesa Electric Networks, DTEK Kyiv Electric Networks and DTEK Kyiv Regional Networks will be subject to extraordinary field inspections by the regulator.
It is noted that people complain about the injustice of blackouts, when in some houses the lights are turned off more often and for a longer time, and in others – less often or almost never. In addition, consumers appealed to the regulator regarding the fact that oblenergo did not inform subscribers about the power outage, in particular, did not post information on their websites or update it. At the same time, the largest number of complaints were received about the work of DPEK Kyiv Electric Grids – from four consumers. One or two clients reported alleged violations by other operators.
“The NCREKU notes that in accordance with the requirements of the legislation, when applying emergency unloading, ZRR should not allow discrimination between users and should ensure the maximum possible even distribution of consumption reduction volumes among consumers,” the message says.
The situation with electricity in Ukraine
Planned and emergency power outages were introduced due to Russian strikes on critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. They are used depending on the situation in the country’s energy system.
On the morning of December 28, Ukrenergo reported that the electricity shortage in the system had increased. As the company noted, this is due to the shutdown of some units of power plants due to shelling of the gas infrastructure in the eastern region.
Later, Energoatom NAEC stated that all nuclear power units located in the territory controlled by Ukraine are currently operating in the system, despite information in the media about their alleged shutdown.
In addition, in his annual message to the Verkhovna Rada on the internal and external situation of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi emphasized that Ukraine will create a new decentralized energy system in which renewable energy will play a major role. Due to the attacks of the Russian Federation, the danger of dependence of cities on several large heating or power plants became obvious.
