OREANDA-NEWS. April 17, 2009. The Governmental resolution concerning raise of tariffs for electric power and natural gas is economically grounded and refers only to well-to-do citizens whose amount of consumption of energy resources significantly exceeds average showings.

The head of National Electricity Regulatory Commission of Ukraine Valerii Kalchenko announced during a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday.

Valerii Kalchenko reminded that, in particular, from May 1 of 2009 it is proposed to increase prices for electric power 3.5fold for those consuming over 600 kWt/h monthly. At the same time, the mentioned raise will not concern multi-children or adoptive families and also population living in houses and apartments equipped by kitchen electric cookers; population using electric power for heating their homes and boiling water on conditions of differentiated meters installed.

“Raise of price for electric power will concern rather rich people who will use electric power in the amounts exceeding 600 kWT/h per month. Such consumers total 1%. For this group of consumers the price for electric power will be upped to an economically grounded level. This raise doesn’t concern not only low protected levels of the population but also middle class,” the head of NERC explained.

Besides, according to him, from June 1 of 2009 the prices for natural gas for the population will grow by 5% if the amount of consumption exceeds 2.5 thousand cu m but doesn’t exceed 6 thousand cu m per year. For those consuming over 6 thousand cu m of gas per year the prices will grow by 10%: “This refers to about 1.5% of consumers. They are also rich people who can afford not to economize on consumption of gas”. Valerii Kalchenko stressed the Gov’t has clearly defined the mentioned norm doesn’t refer to multi-children and adoptive families.

The head of NERC explained on preliminary estimations in 2009 additional UAH 100-150 mn can be received from raise of prices for natural gas and few hundreds millions hryvnyas - from increase of tariffs for electric power.