Ukraine has changed the rules for electricity disconnections over unpaid bills: what consumers will no longer have to pay for
Kyiv • UNN
Consumers will not have to pay for disconnection if the debt is below half the subsistence minimum or if the procedure was violated. The new prices will take effect on October 1, 2026.
The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission has updated the Rules of the Retail Electricity Market. The changes are aimed at strengthening the protection of consumers’ rights during the termination and restoration of electricity supply. This was reported by the NEURC, according to UNN.
Details
In particular, household consumers will not have to reimburse the costs of disconnection and reconnection if, at the time the warning was served, their electricity debt amounted to less than half of the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons.
This guarantee also applies in cases where, after the disconnection, the operator clarifies the data based on the meter’s actual readings and it turns out that the real debt was below the established threshold. In that case, all costs will be borne by the system operator
In addition, consumers will not have to pay for these services if they were disconnected in violation of the established procedure.
The regulator has also introduced uniform approaches to pricing. Where technically possible, operators are required to choose the least complicated and cheapest method of carrying out the work, while the cost of services may not exceed the maximum amount calculated under the new rules. Companies must publish the relevant lists and prices on their own websites.
The disconnection procedure will become more transparent: after the work is completed, specialists will be required to draw up an act recording the time and method of disconnection, the EIC code, and the meter readings. One copy must be left with the consumer or sent within three business days if the consumer was not at home.
At the same time, the time limits for restoring power have been clarified: after the violations are remedied, electricity must be restored within three business days in cities and five business days in villages.
The resolution enters into force on the day following its official publication on the NEURC website, while the new mechanism for determining the cost of services will take effect on October 1, 2026.