"Put on a sweater". Ukrenergo urges Ukrainians not to heat homes to 20–22°C

Ukrenergo CEO Vitaliy Zaichenko urged Ukrainians not to heat their homes to 20–22°C and to reduce the use of air conditioners and heaters to help stabilize the national power system. He made the statement during a national telethon on Tuesday.

"Household consumers, who are now the largest electricity users in Ukraine, need to change their behavior. They should not heat their homes to a comfortable 20–22 degrees, but put on an extra sweater — this way they will help our energy system," Zaichenko said.

Electricity consumption has risen sharply, Zaichenko noted. The increase is mainly due to cooler and more humid weather in October compared to previous years. Many households have switched to heating with air conditioners and electric heaters, leading to a 25% rise in electricity use compared to September, he said.

Such growth, amid ongoing Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, is straining the power system.

"Turning on central heating will somewhat stabilize the situation, but with further temperature drops, overall consumption will only continue to grow," Zaichenko added.

The situation is especially challenging during morning and evening peaks — from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. and from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m.

• Power outages in Ukraine resumed after a long pause as Russia once again launched massive strikes on energy facilities.
• On October 10, Russian attacks caused partial blackouts in Kyiv, leaving much of the city’s left bank without electricity and water.
• Since October 22, Ukraine has been operating under hourly power outage schedules.