Ukrainians could have been overpaying for heating for years: will utility services reimburse the money?

In Lutsk, consumers of the utility company “Lutskteplo” may have been paying inflated heating bills for a long time. This became known thanks to the report of the Western Interregional Territorial Department of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.

The control body initiated an investigation to clarify possible violations of antimonopoly legislation by the company. The primary focus is on subscriber service tariffs, which, according to preliminary data, may include unconfirmed costs.

According to the AMCU, the new fee, which began operating on October 1, 2023, may be inflated due to the inclusion of costs for the formation of an exchange fund for heat energy meters, which may indicate abuse of a monopoly position in the heat supply market. This violates the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Economic Competition”.

Currently, the committee’s specialists are working to collect and analyze facts in this case. If the evidence confirms the violations, the company will face sanctions, and consumers will be able to demand compensation.

KP “Lutskteplo” has not yet commented on the situation, citing the “wartime legal regime”. The company also did not provide data on the number of consumers who pay the subscription fee and total revenues over the past two years.

Regarding a possible refund, the AMCU noted that if the court finds the charges unacceptable, consumers will have the right to seek compensation for damages through the court.

Earlier, it was reported on expert advice on how to get through the heating season more easily, as well as on the consequences for debtors of non-payment of heating bills.