10.09.2026
Energy Club has received official responses from the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the NEURC to an appeal regarding the readiness of state and local budget-funded institutions for a full transition to hourly commercial metering of electricity starting January 1, 2027.
The Energy Club appeal dated July 27, 2026, No. 66/07/26, was prepared following an expert online discussion held on July 8 at the initiative of Energy 365 LLC, a member company of the Club.
The key outcome of the appeal consideration was the Regulator’s support for Energy Club’s proposal on the necessity of a separate directive from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for systematic preparation of budget institutions.
In its letter dated August 17, 2026, No. 10527/17.3.2/7-26, NEURC noted that a relevant Government directive is a decisive factor in ensuring the timely transition of budget institutions with group “a” metering sites to hourly metering by January 1, 2027.
The Regulator also confirmed that group “a” commercial metering sites must be equipped with smart meters operating within an automated system that provides:
Thus, installing a new meter alone is insufficient to fulfill the requirements. It is necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the entire system for receiving, processing, validating, and transmitting hourly data.
NEURC reported that during 2025–2026 it had already taken steps toward implementing smart metering. In particular, the Regulator instructed distribution system operators to monitor group “a” sites lacking smart meters with automatic data transmission and identify among them objects that may belong to budget institutions.
Information was also provided to consumers, appeals were sent to the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Finance to establish the necessary mechanisms, and regulatory rules were developed to stimulate the deployment of smart metering systems.
The Regulator agreed that a systematic resolution of the issue will allow budget institutions to gain full access to their own commercial metering data and analyze hourly consumption profiles.
According to NEURC, having a reliable hourly profile will facilitate electricity procurement on more competitive terms, reduce imbalance risks for suppliers, and minimize the risk of failed tender procedures and forced transitions of budget institutions to the supplier of last resort.
Upon receiving the relevant directive from the Cabinet of Ministers, NEURC is ready to actively participate within its scope of competence in implementing the measures proposed by Energy Club.
In its response dated September 10, 2026, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine noted that the end of the transition period for applying hourly incentive coefficients on January 1, 2027, necessitates ensuring consumers, including budget institutions, are ready to use actual hourly data in commercial settlements.
The Ministry of Energy emphasized that smart metering development is a direction of state policy in sustainable development and an integral component of implementing the Smart Grid Concept in Ukraine until 2035.
The Ministry also reported that in April 2026 it drew the attention of distribution system operators to the need to include smart metering measures when developing system development plans for 2027–2031 and action plans for 2027.
If a relevant directive is received from the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Energy is prepared to process and execute it within the authority established by legislation.
The responses received confirm the validity of the issue raised by Energy Club and the necessity of interagency coordination. At the same time, the corresponding directive from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has yet to be issued.
Energy Club believes that before the beginning of 2027 it is necessary to:
Energy Club will continue communication with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, NEURC, Ministry of Energy, and other public authorities on the practical implementation of the proposed measures.
The Club is ready to provide a platform for further coordination, preparation of information materials for budget institutions, holding specialized webinars, and forming a practical roadmap for transition to hourly commercial metering.
