A planned change in household bills is already raising questions about who will pay and whether current social protections can keep pace.
The gradual transition to market-based gas and electricity tariffs envisaged by the new agreement with the IMF must be accompanied by rising household incomes, higher wages and pensions, and improvements to the subsidy system.
This view was expressed by Maksym Tkachenko, a member of parliament and deputy head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, in his personal blog.
The updated agreement with the IMF calls for preparations for a gradual transition to gas and electricity tariffs that will cover the costs of the energy sector. The increases could begin in 2027, but before that, the government must assess the current subsidy system and create more effective targeted support for vulnerable families.
– Maksym Tkachenko
According to the lawmaker, the need to finance the energy sector is understandable, but the transition to economically justified tariffs must be accompanied by rising household incomes.
The economic logic is clear: damaged energy infrastructure needs money for repairs, reserves, and recovery. The absurdity begins when only the price of the resource is considered economically justified, while the income of the person who has to pay for it is not.
– Maksym Tkachenko
He also warned that rising energy prices could affect the amount of utility bills even if the tariff moratorium remains in place.
Tkachenko also noted that we cannot “bring utility bills up to European levels while leaving wages, pensions, and social benefits far behind.”
– Maksym Tkachenko
In 2056, the minimum wage in Ukraine stands at UAH 8,647 (approximately EUR 173), which is three times lower than the level in some EU countries. The minimum pension is UAH 2,595, while a quarter of pensioners receive less than UAH 4,000 per month.
In 2025, the share of the population living below the poverty line was approximately 41.6%, compared with 37% the previous year, while real GDP fell by 0.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026.
A separate tariff safeguard is needed for internally displaced persons: automatic access to subsidies based on their actual place of residence, consideration of total rental and utility costs, and guaranteed support for residents of temporary accommodation and social housing.
– Maksym Tkachenko
According to the lawmaker, higher tariffs could lead not only to reduced consumption but also to the loss of rented housing. He emphasized the need to introduce a separate tariff protection mechanism for internally displaced persons.
In other words, displaced people are entering the tariff reform not with a financial cushion, but with a debt noose already tightened around their necks.
– Maksym Tkachenko
The lawmaker also stressed the importance of implementing separate protective measures for internally displaced persons: introducing a tariff safeguard that takes their actual place of residence and financial circumstances into account, as well as supporting residents of temporary accommodation and social housing.
Tariffs and social benefits must be aligned with people’s actual income levels to avoid dangerous social consequences during energy-sector reforms.