Starting July 1, hourly power outage schedules have been introduced in all regions of Ukraine. The restrictions apply to both the population and businesses. This was announced by Artem Nekrasov, the First Deputy Minister of Energy, during a briefing.
Causes of energy deficit
The country's energy system is under double pressure. On the one hand, critical damage to infrastructure has been caused by Russian attacks. The most difficult situation is in the Sumy region, where the largest number of consumers remain without power due to damaged facilities. Repair crews are working there around the clock.
On the other hand, the situation has been affected by anomalous heat. The mass use of air conditioners has led to a sharp spike in electricity consumption. Ukrenergo confirmed that the increase in loads due to the weather was the main reason for the return of outages at the end of June.
Consequences of bad weather and strikes
In addition to military damage, outages are also caused by natural factors. Due to bad weather, more than 80 settlements in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Chernihiv regions have been left without power. Crews are already working to eliminate the emergencies.
Additional strain is caused by scheduled repairs at power plants and a reduction in electricity import volumes. The combination of these factors has forced energy workers to introduce restrictions in the volume of one queue.
Restriction regime and recommendations
Today, restrictions will be in effect from 17:00 to 22:00. Artem Nekrasov urged citizens to shift the use of powerful electrical appliances to daytime hours — from 10:00 to 16:00. During peak load hours (from 16:00 to 23:00), it is necessary to save electricity as much as possible to support the stability of the energy system.
