Winter with insufficient heating: some Ukrainians will freeze again

In Ukraine, the heating season will begin when the average daily temperature for several days is kept at +8°C and below. Local authorities declare almost complete readiness to start heating, however, there are risks that some citizens may be left without heat in winter.

The head of the Union of Consumers of Public Utilities, Oleg Popenko, noted in a comment that several reasons may affect this situation, and not all of them are related to the war or infrastructure damage.

Reason #1. Collective agreement

If residents of a building do not have individual contracts for heat supply, but use collective agreements with the Housing Office or the management company, the risk of being left without heating increases. In the case of debts to the heating utility or Naftogaz, such housing may not be connected. Popenko emphasized that it is worth switching to individual contracts to avoid responsibility for the debts of others.

Reason #2. Technical problems

Another reason for the lack of heating can be emergencies in heating networks or heating points. The expert noted that there may be cases when entire houses are not connected due to worn pipes or serious malfunctions. In such situations, heating companies refuse to turn on the heat to avoid additional accidents.

Reason #3. Damage to buildings from shelling

This problem is especially relevant for new residential complexes with their own boiler rooms. If windows or doors are broken in the house, the management company may refuse to supply heat until the residents repair the damage. The community of residents is responsible for maintaining the house, so the repairs will have to be financed independently. However, there are local programs and the state initiative “eRecovery” that can compensate for part of the costs.

Nuances with meters

Oleg Popenko also noted that the lack of verification of the heat meter is not a reason to refuse to connect the heating. However, in this case, residents will have to pay not according to actual readings, but according to the average tariff, which may be 2-3 times more expensive.

It was previously reported that even with a mild winter, problems may arise: will there be enough gas for Ukrainians? Warnings were also issued about possible blackouts due to enemy attacks, in particular, Ukrainians were urged to prepare chargers. Recently, the situation in apartments may fluctuate at +12-14°C, so Ukrainians should prepare for a brutal winter.