According to the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada, draft laws “On commercial metering of utilities” (No. 4901) and “On the energy efficiency of buildings” (No. 4941-d) shall be put to the vote in the second reading on June 22, 2017.

The experts of the RPR Group on the Energy Sector Reform call on the MPs to demonstrate responsibility and to launch a full-fledged reform of energy efficiency. Both draft laws are supported by the subject parliamentary committee; they have been carefully analyzed by the Ukrainian experts, as well as the experts from the Secretariat of the Energy Community and the EU Support Group for Ukraine. These draft laws are also endorsed by the EU Delegation in Ukraine.

The experts note that these draft laws are key to ensure effective operation of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the launch of which is one of the major energy priorities for the country. Ukraine will lose a chance to receive irrevocable financial assistance in the total of about 100 million EUR for the establishment of an Energy Efficiency Fund, unless those draft laws are adopted by the end of June.

The draft law “On commercial metering of utilities” will give a chance to introduce a full-fledged individual heat supply metering in the residential buildings all over the country. Each consumer will receive reliable information about their consumption and will be able to pay only for the volume of services consumed. This means that for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine, its citizens will be motivated to rationalize and reduce heat consumption. At the same time, individual bills will come along with practical recommendations on energy saving which do not compromise the comfort and quality of life. Adoption of this draft law guarantees correct calculations, control over and metering of heat supply for consumers, as well as protection of energy independence of the whole country.

The draft law “On the energy efficiency of buildings” will introduce minimum requirements for energy efficiency in the process of construction and will launch a certification system for objects under construction and existing buildings based on energy consumption classes. The purpose of the draft law is to determine the fundamental principles of activity in the sphere of energy efficiency and to create conditions for the rational consumption of energy resources. After its adoption, building owners will learn about the amount of energy they actually need in order to provide proper conditions for living or staying in a particular building. They will also be able to assess whether these indicators meet the established minimum energy efficiency requirements or not.

Given the crucial importance and urgency of adoption of new rules, standards, and culture of energy efficiency and energy saving, the experts of the Energy Sector Reform Group of the Reanimation Package of the Reform call on the MPs to support the draft laws necessary for the implementation of the reform (“On commercial metering of utilities” (No. 4901) and “On the energy efficiency of buildings” (No. 4941-d)) during the Parliament’s plenary voting on June 22.