April Fool's Day: Since April 1, utility tariffs have increased sharply - Ukrainians are learning to cheat
Kyiv, April 01 (PolitNavigator, Vasily Ablyazimov, Alexandra Ignatieva) – New tariffs for housing and communal services have come into force in Ukraine: new prices for heat, gas and electricity will hurt the pockets of middle-class Ukrainians.
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At the same time, the minimum tariff for the population is set during the heating season from October 1 to April 30 with a maximum fuel consumption of up to 200 cubic meters per month. What does this standard have to do with even for modern boilers that heat water and hot water – “butt-to-the-wall”.
In case of exceeding the established minimum volume, the following volumes are paid at the rate of 7188 UAH per thousand cubic meters.
During the off-season period - from May 1 to September 30 - the cost of natural gas will be UAH 7188 per thousand cubic meters, regardless of consumption volumes.
Furthermore, as of April 1, residential heating tariffs increased by 72% to UAH 537,2 per Gcal . Prior to this, the commission had raised the gas price for district heating companies producing residential heat by 2,2 times to UAH 2934 per thousand cubic meters. Not all local authorities are yet ready to announce the exact cost of heating in a specific city and building, as local district heating companies are still coordinating tariffs with Kyiv. However, according to preliminary estimates, the average cost of heating in a two-room Khrushchev-era apartment will be UAH 2,400,000-4,000,000.
Starting today, electricity tariffs will increase by 50%. As a reminder, the two-year electricity tariff increase will take place in five stages. The current price is 0,37 UAH/kWh for monthly consumption of up to 100 kWh. For consumers with monthly consumption between 100 and 600 kWh, the tariff will be 0,63 UAH/kWh. For consumption over 600 kWh per month, the tariff will increase by 5% to 1,407 UAH/kWh. Overall, by April 2017, the average weighted electricity tariff for households will increase 3,5 times.
Water rates are also rising. In Kyiv, water prices will increase by 40% starting May 1. Utility companies in other regions are expected to take similar steps. Moreover, these utility rate increases are compounded by the increase in public transportation fares that occurred in February.
Tariffs have been similarly increased for all enterprises in the country, which will automatically raise prices for all types of products, from bread to cars from the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant.
The total increase in gas tariffs also affected the price of commercial natural gas produced by Ukrgazvydobuvannya. The new tariff was UAH 1590 per 1 thousand cubic meters. m – growth by 355%. In addition, the general tariff for the transportation of natural gas was increased to UAH 656,2 per 1 thousand cubic meters.
It should be noted that in anticipation of the rise in prices in the markets of Ukrainian cities, the demand for “spiders” and “magnets” began to grow - all types of devices that help reduce meter readings. Particularly popular are devices for water meters. At a price of 300-400 UAH. they “pay for themselves” in a year, Ukrainians share their observations on social networks.
On the eve of the start of the campaign for the simplified provision of subsidies, Ukrainians began to stock up on false income certificates, which underestimated their salaries.
Experts emphasize that the new utility rates will hit the middle class the hardest . After all, "European" utility prices are completely incomparable with Ukrainian incomes. Political analysts believe a sharp escalation of the situation in Ukraine can be expected in May: after people receive their first bills for the new rates, protests will begin.
April Fool's Day: Utility rates have risen sharply since April 1st – Ukrainians are learning how to cheat