The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the mass installation of heat points in high-rise buildings

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted in the second reading and as a whole the draft law No. 14067, aimed at reforming and modernizing the domestic centralized heating system. The document provides for the phased mandatory installation of apartment buildings with individual heat points (ITP). This will allow regulating the supply of heat depending on weather conditions and reducing its consumption.

The decision was supported 243 people's deputiesThe votes were distributed by factions and political groups as follows:

How will ITP affect heating bills?

The main technological advantage of an individual heating point is automatic adjustment of the coolant temperature. Sensors on the facade of the building record the outside air temperature, and the system instantly reduces or increases the amount of heat supplied to the internal network.

Thanks to automation, the reform will bring several important changes:

• Energy saving: According to estimates by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, installing an ITP allows reducing the building's thermal energy consumption by an average of 15-30%.

• Fighting "overheating": The common problem of the spring and autumn seasons, when during warming, the batteries in apartments remain too hot, forcing residents to open windows and "heat the street", will disappear.

• Individual accounting: Each house will consume and pay only for the actual amount of gigacalories needed, regardless of neighboring buildings in the neighborhood.

Important warning from the Ministry of Development:

The adoption of the law does not mean an automatic reduction in the figures in the payments immediately after its publication. The actual amount of the heating fee will depend on the approved tariffs, the energy efficiency of the building's walls, the amount of coolant consumed, and the technical condition of the building's heating system.

Implementation deadlines and exceptions to the rules

Legislators took into account the complex defense and financial realities, so the introduction of new rules will take place taking into account the transition period:

1. Postponement of requirements: The mandatory condition for equipping houses with heating points will come into effect only six months after the termination or lifting of martial law in Ukraine. No forced conversion will be carried out at this time.

2. Exemption from reinstallation: If a certified ITP is already operating in a new building or a modernized multi-story condominium, there is no need to re-purchase or update the equipment.

3. Technical limitations: The legal requirement does not apply to old or specific buildings, where due to architectural features or internal communications, the installation of ITP is technically impossible.

4. Sources of funding: The costs of purchasing and installing heat points are allowed to be included in the general tariff for heat energy. This means that the modernization can be partially financed by consumers, but in the long term these investments must be offset by a significant reduction in the volume of gigacalorie consumption.