Kyiv residents left without electricity, water, or heating for days due to massive shelling face the risk of being billed for services they never received. Utility monopolies may charge fees based on average historical consumption if customers fail to submit meter readings on time.
Oleg Popenko, head of the Consumers Union of Public Utilities, discussed the issue in a comment to UNIAN, as reported by Hvylya.
According to the expert, while the law mandates uninterrupted service, residents should not expect automatic recalculations in the current reality. Monopolies are unlikely to voluntarily lower bills, even in the Kyiv region where electricity is often cut for up to seven days at a time.
"The Cabinet of Ministers needs to introduce legislation to ensure recalculations happen automatically. When a utility service is not provided, people should be compensated. That would be fair," Popenko noted.
The Dangers of "Average Rates"
Popenko cited a telling example involving Kharkivoblenergo. In 2023, the company continued to bill residents of a village in the Vovchansk district who had evacuated due to shelling. Because meter readings were not submitted, the utility calculated charges based on averages. As a result, displaced residents accumulated debts of 8,000 hryvnias.
"People say, 'We aren't there,' and Kharkivoblenergo asks them to provide meter readings so they can recalculate," the specialist explained.
To avoid this scenario, experts advise Kyiv residents to submit meter readings without fail, even if consumption is zero. The primary requirement is that the meters must be intact and certified.
If incorrect charges have already been applied, consumers are advised to contact the provider, the energy regulator (NEURC), or the State Consumer Service. However, Popenko warned that Ukraine's consumer protection system is virtually non-functional, noting that monopolies often ignore orders from regulatory bodies and prolong court proceedings.
"We lack a practice of recalculating utility services in favor of the consumer, and there is no effective system working for the consumer," the expert concluded.
