10.07.2026
On July 8, Energy Club held an open online meeting “Readiness of budget institutions for hourly electricity metering from 2027: risks, costs and practical solutions”. The initiator of the expert discussion was the company “Energy 365”, which proposed to submit for professional discussion the issue of completing the transitional period for the application of hourly incentive coefficients for group “A” metering sites.
From January 1, 2027, a general procedure for forming hourly consumption schedules will apply for such sites in the absence of interval commercial metering and remote data exchange. That is why market participants discussed the level of readiness of budget institutions for new requirements, financial risks, sources of financing, technical aspects of the transition and practical steps that need to be implemented today.
The meeting was attended by Energy Club member companies, representatives of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Utilities of Ukraine, the State Treasury Service of Ukraine, the Directorate of Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, electricity suppliers, market experts and other interested parties.
The speakers of the event were Yuriy Pidlisny, Head of Energy 365 LLC, Oleg Kostrykin, Director of the Department for Regulation of Relations and Protection of Consumer Rights in the Retail Electricity Market of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy Sector of Ukraine, Andriy Zhdanyuk, Head of the Department for Implementation and Development of Accounting Systems of the Department for Regulation of Relations in the Energy Sector of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy Sector of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kudym, Head of Euro Trade Energy LLC, Iryna Shumik, Director General of the Directorate for Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and Iryna Beresneva, Director General of Tolk Ukraine LLC.
Opening the meeting, Energy Club Vice President Artem Martynyuk emphasized that there is less than a year and a half left before the new rules come into force, so it is necessary to assess the real level of readiness of budgetary institutions and form a clear roadmap for the transition now.
“Our task is not just to discuss the problem, but to identify key risks and develop practical steps that will help budget institutions to promptly switch to hourly commercial metering and avoid negative consequences for both consumers and the market as a whole,” said Artem Martyniuk.
Yuriy Pidlisny: without hourly metering, budget institutions risk significantly overpaying
The head of Energy 365 LLC Yuriy Pidlisny recalled that the changes to the regulatory framework adopted at the end of 2025 actually gave budget institutions an additional year to bring commercial metering nodes into line with the requirements of the law and switch to full-fledged hourly metering.
According to him, some consumers are already modernizing metering systems and installing equipment for remote data reading, but in general the pace of the transition remains insufficient.
“There is a high probability that a significant part of budget institutions will not switch to the correct metering system. Then they will automatically receive a more expensive consumption schedule, and the funds allocated for the purchase of electricity may simply not be enough by the end of the year,” Yuriy Pidlisny emphasized, because in this case, institutions will have to either revise purchases or switch to a “last resort” supplier, where the cost of electricity is much higher.
He also drew attention to the economic aspect of the issue.
“According to our calculations, the difference may be about one – one hryvnia ten kopecks for each kilowatt-hour. These are averaged data for our consumers, but they well demonstrate the scale of potential losses,” he noted.
To speed up the preparation, Yuriy Pidlisny suggested forming a list of budget institutions that have not yet fulfilled the requirements of the Commercial Accounting Code, and transferring this information to the relevant authorities. “Then the owners and managers of these institutions will get a clear understanding of the situation and will be able to organize the necessary work. As a result, we will achieve the main goal – saving budget funds,” the head of Energy 365 LLC concluded.
Oleg Kostrykin: the key problem is not information, but financing
Director of the Department for Regulation of Relations and Protection of Consumer Rights in the Retail Electricity Market of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities of Ukraine Oleg Kostrykin noted that the regulator has repeatedly drawn the attention of the Ministry of Finance and budget administrators to the need to provide funding for the installation of modern means of commercial metering.
“The logic is clear: everyone should switch to hourly metering, because this will save budget funds. But the main question is how much money budget institutions should spend on this,” he emphasized.
In his opinion, information work is no longer enough. “You can collect information again, send letters again and explain future savings. But practice shows that this does not work. If there is no money, the process does not move,” the representative of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities of Ukraine noted.
That is why he suggested that Energy Club initiate an appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to approve an instruction to budget institutions to determine the control deadlines for the transition.for hourly metering.
“The Cabinet of Ministers’ order setting control dates will be a much more effective tool than just an information campaign. It is this mechanism that is capable of ensuring the real implementation of the task,” Oleg Kostrykin concluded.
Andriy Zhdanyuk: hourly metering is a necessary condition for the fair functioning of the market
Andriy Zhdanyuk, Head of the Department for Implementation and Development of Metering Systems of the Department for Settlement of Relations in the Energy Sector of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy Sector, explained the logic of introducing hourly commercial metering and provided current data on consumer readiness for new requirements.
According to him, from January 1, 2025, hourly metering has become mandatory for commercial metering sites with a connected capacity of over 150 kW or an average monthly consumption of over 50 thousand kWh.
“We made this decision so that large energy-intensive consumers would pay for the electricity they actually use at the appropriate hours of the day. The previous approach, when the financial burden was partially shifted to other market participants, was unfair and did not comply with the principles of a competitive electricity market,” he noted.
The representative of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Power Generation of Ukraine reported that in recent years, the regulator, together with distribution system operators and NEC Ukrenergo, has carried out large-scale work to verify commercial metering sites and transfer them to group “A”. At the beginning of 2025, about 31 thousand sites were included in it, and during 2026, almost 5 thousand more consumers provided hourly metering.
At the same time, only 63 sites among them belong to budgetary institutions.
“According to NEC Ukrenergo, today about seven thousand budgetary institutions have not yet provided hourly commercial metering. This is a very significant amount, considering that there is not much time left until the end of the transition period,” Andriy Zhdanyuk emphasized.
The cost of the transition is not critical
Separately, the representative of the regulator refuted the widespread opinion about the excessive cost of the transition to hourly metering. According to him, in most cases it is necessary to install a modern meter with the ability to remotely transfer data and a modem.
“The main part of the costs is the equipment itself: the meter and the modem. Their market value is approximately from 10 to 14 thousand hryvnias. In most cases, no expensive automated systems or large-scale projects are required,” he explained.
Andriy Zhdanyuk also drew attention to the fact that consumers can independently choose a provider of commercial metering services, and competition in this market should help to contain the cost of work.
According to him, the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Utilities of Ukraine (NKREKP) has already decided to introduce maximum prices for certain services of distribution system operators, which will make the process of installing metering nodes more transparent.
Hourly metering is also savings
The representative of the regulator emphasized that for most budget institutions, hourly metering is not only a way to comply with the requirements of the legislation, but also an opportunity to significantly reduce electricity costs.
“Budget organizations mainly work during the day. That is why, after switching to hourly metering, they will pay for the actual schedule of their consumption, without taking into account the night peaks, which are now included in the calculation models. This is what makes it possible to reduce the final cost of electricity,” he explained.
“We wanted consumers to not only comply with the requirements of the Commercial Accounting Code, but also receive a real economic effect from the transition to hourly metering,” Andriy Zhdanyuk concluded.
Olexandr Kudym: the economic effect is obvious, but the transition rate remains low
The head of Euro Trade Energy LLC, Oleksandr Kudym, noted that electricity suppliers have been working with budget institutions for a long time, explaining the advantages of switching to hourly commercial metering. However, the pace of implementation of automated commercial metering systems remains insufficient.
“We constantly work with our consumers, inform them, explain the advantages of switching to group “A”. But, unfortunately, the pace of implementation of ASKOE among budget institutions remains very low,” he noted.
According to Oleksandr Kudym, the calculations conducted by the company confirm the rapid payback of such investments. “In almost all cases, the costs of installing ASKOE are repaid within three to four months, after which the consumer already receives net savings,” emphasized the head of Euro Trade Energy LLC.
However, even the obvious economic effect was not a sufficient incentive.
“There is a positive dynamic only where institutions have a special fund or other own sources of financing. If the approval of the governing body or additional budget financing is required, the process practically stops,” stated Oleksandr Kudym.
Iryna Shumik: the main challenge for educational institutions is finding financing
Director General of the Directorate of Vocational Education of the Ministriesand Education and Science of Ukraine Iryna Shumik noted that the issue of transition to hourly commercial accounting is relevant for the entire educational sphere. At the same time, due to different levels of subordination of educational institutions — to communities, regional administrations and the Ministry of Education and Science — today there is no consolidated information on their readiness for new requirements.
“Therefore, it is very difficult to talk about general statistics for all educational institutions today. We have not collected such information in the context of all institutions and currently we cannot say which part is ready for the transition,” she noted.
According to Iryna Shumik, the main obstacle remains funding, because even relatively small expenses can be significant for budget institutions.
“For educational institutions, even several tens of thousands of hryvnias can be a serious challenge, especially if we are talking about institutions that have several buildings or separate educational facilities. You need to clearly understand the order of expenses and sources of their financing,” she said.
At the same time, the Ministry representative confirmed her readiness to join the information work after receiving detailed information about the institutions that fall under the new requirements.
“If we understand which institutions fall under these requirements and what costs need to be foreseen, we are ready to conduct an additional information campaign, organize meetings and once again draw the attention of heads of educational institutions to the need to fulfill these requirements,” noted Iryna Shumik.
During the discussion, Andriy Zhdanyuk clarified that the new requirements apply only to those commercial metering sites that meet certain criteria regarding capacity or consumption volumes, which significantly narrows the range of budgetary institutions that must modernize.
Iryna Beresneva: the problem cannot be solved without the support of the authorities
General Director of Tolk Ukraine LLC Iryna Beresneva emphasized that electricity suppliers have been conducting explanatory work with their customers for a long time, but this is not enough for the mass transition of budget institutions to hourly commercial metering.
According to her, among the company’s clients who were supposed to switch to the new metering model, less than half of the consumers have installed the necessary equipment. “Of them, only 26 have already installed the necessary equipment. The rest have not done so yet, although we have repeatedly contacted them, sent letters, explained the requirements of the legislation and possible consequences,” Iryna Beresneva reported.
In her opinion, state authorities should play a key role in accelerating this process. “If there is no clear signal from ministries or authorities, it is very difficult to ensure a mass transition only by the forces of suppliers. We can explain, advise, and show the economics of the project, but budget institutions have many other priority tasks and often postpone this issue,” she emphasized.
At the same time, the company confirmed its readiness to continue participating in the information campaign and interacting with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to prepare educational institutions for the transition.
From discussion to practical solutions
Summing up the discussion, the meeting participants focused on specific steps that will help accelerate the preparation of budget institutions for the transition to hourly commercial accounting.
The head of Euro Trade Energy LLC, Oleksandr Kudym, proposed creating a single information resource based on Energy Club with a list of commercial accounting service providers by region and the approximate cost of their services.
“It would be very useful to create a list of such companies for each region, indicating contacts and an approximate range of service costs. This will significantly simplify the choice for budget institutions and make the process more transparent,” he said.
Andriy Zhdanyuk supported this initiative, noting that information about suppliers is already contained on the resources of distribution system operators and NPC Ukrenergo, but it would be advisable to systematize it and make it more accessible to consumers.
“If Energy Club summarizes this information and makes it available to budget institutions, it will become an additional tool for informing the market,” said the representative of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Utilities of Ukraine.
At the same time, he emphasized that consumers have the right to independently choose both equipment and contractors, and competition in the market should contribute to improving the quality of services and containing their cost.
A decision is needed at the Cabinet of Ministers level
Summing up the discussion, Oleg Kostrykin, Director of the Department for Regulation of Relations and Protection of Consumer Rights in the Retail Electricity Market of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Utilities of Ukraine, emphasized that further information in itself will not ensure the timely transition of budget institutions to hourly commercial metering.
“Understanding how the system of budget institutions works, I am convinced that the most effective step will be an instruction from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to transition budget institutions to hourly metering with the definition of control deadlines. It is such a document that will allow the bodym management to begin systematic preparation,” he noted.
The representative of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities of Ukraine also suggested that Energy Club, together with the regulator, work out the relevant proposals and coordinate further actions.
Energy Club will coordinate further work
Summing up the meeting, Energy Club Vice President Artem Martyniuk noted that the Club is ready to become a platform for coordinating interaction between the regulator, state authorities, electricity suppliers and other market participants.
Based on the results of the expert discussion, Energy Club will summarize the developed proposals and begin implementing practical initiatives that will help budget institutions to timely comply with the requirements of the legislation.
Among the priority steps:
preparation of a practical note for budget institutions on the transition to hourly commercial accounting;
working out the possibility of creating an open list of commercial accounting service providers indicating the regions of operation and the approximate cost of services;
generalization of proposals of market participants and preparation of a common position on the systematic preparation of budgetary institutions for the transition to hourly metering;
preparation together with the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Utilities of Ukraine of proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the organization of this process at the state level;
continuation of information work with the participation of the regulator, electricity suppliers, state authorities and Energy Club member companies.
“We are ready to coordinate this work together with the regulator, market participants and state authorities. Only through joint efforts can we ensure the timely transition of budgetary institutions to hourly commercial metering, minimize risks for consumers and create prerequisites for more effective functioning of the retail electricity market,” Artem Martyniuk concluded.
