UNIAN

According to the National Commission, the changes proposed will encourage the public to shift to night time consumption of electricity at a reduced price.

"These changes envisage a decrease in the tariff ratio for the public from 0.7 to 0.5 of the rate for night off-peak energy (from 2300 to 0700 hours). This rate applies in the case of the use by consumers of dual rate electricity metering," the Commission’s statement reads.

"This approach will level off the load on the Ukrainian integrated power system and ensure a reduction in electricity consumption during peak hours,” the statement reads.

Видео дня

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine has proposed that businesses switch to night working schedules to reduce power consumption during peak hours.

In late November, state enterprise “National Power Company “Ukrenergo” called for a reduction in power consumption due to the acute shortage of coal for thermal power plants in Ukraine.

The company said that if all household consumers switched off just one 60-watt bulb it would reduce electric power consumption by more than 1,000 MW, accounting for around 4% of the total load in Ukraine during evening hours.

As earlier reported, in September Ukraine began for the first time in years to import thermal coal in order to meet the needs of thermal power plants. Domestic coal production is insufficient to meet the demands of power plants due to the fighting in the east of the country, where the majority of the country’s existing mines are located.

About half of the electricity in Ukraine is generated by nuclear power plants, with the rest being produced by thermal power plants by means of burning coal and gas, as well as by hydro power plants and "green" energy. Gas shortages and the shutting down of 80% of the country’s mines have resulted in energy shortages.

According to the Ministry of Energy, over the last couple of months Ukraine has already lost about 12 million tonnes of coal production due to the fighting in the Donbas.