State energy efficiency support already extended to 100,000 apartment inhabitants

Kyiv, March 22, 2016. According to estimates of various international organizations, it is possible to reduce 50-60% of heating energy outlays due to saving and implementing energy efficiency measures in residential houses. This was stated by Tetyana Boiko, coordinator of housing and utilities programs, civil network OPORA, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Apartment owners bear the responsibility for energy saving in apartment buildings, though they do not always realize it and the only legal form that allows for energy efficiency measures is condominium associations.

“As of today, only about 10-15% of apartment buildings have such an organized proprietor, that is, a condominium association. According to the Ministry of Regional Development, today there are 15,000 condominiums excluding the annexed Crimea and the occupied territories. According to the State Statistics Service, which takes into account these territories, there are 17,500 condominium associations. In any case, this is too little; it is only 10-15% of the housing stock,” emphasized Ms. Boiko. Therefore, state support for condominium associations is highly important.

Approximately 100 thousand people have already benefited from this program, said Roman Maretskiy, Deputy Director of the Department – Head of the State Expertise Department of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine. “The sum is about 1.3 billion hryvnias. The government has repaid about 427 million hryvnias since the program began – said Roman Maretskiy. He added that “208 condominium associations have participated in the program, which totals 17.5 million hryvnias.” According to him, the program continues to grow in popularity. During 2015 – 2016, compensation paid to condominium associations / housing cooperatives exceeded 5.5 billion hryvnias. The representative of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine noted that the most popular measures are replacement of windows for public spaces (about 45%), heat insulation (about 14%), metering units (about 15%) and modernization of lighting systems (about 13%). As for regional distribution, Volyn, Lviv and Kyiv regions are showing the greatest interest. As for the number of issued loans, Roman Maretskiy said thatamong the leaders are Lviv, Donetsk and Sumy regions.

According to Roman Maretskiy, now changes are being prepared to support improvements in energy efficiency. In particular, it is planned to continue the program for 2017-2018; to expand the list of banks providing energy saving loans; to expand a mechanism of state support to regulators and energy service companies , etc.

Bogdan Gorobchuk, Communication Manager, civil network “OPORA,” informed that they conducted a survey of 51 condominium associations on energy saving measures in buildings. Among the measures provided by the state program the vast majority of respondents are interested in heat insulating and modernization of walls, basements, attics, roofs and foundations. “That is, more than half of respondents would like, or at least would consider such a measure to be taken for their houses,” noted the communications manager of the civil network OPORA. He added that the most popular measures taken over the last 5 years were:  modernization of lighting systems, installation of doors for public spaces, installation of water metering units, heat insulation works.

“Heat insulation systems will be most effective when all the elements of thermal modernization of buildings will be made simultaneously and properly. They include engineering, heat meters, and of course, heat insulation systems for roofs and buildings,” said Mykola Pasko, a representative of “Henkel Bautechnik (Ukraine).”