The government expands Winter Support: what can be bought for a thousand hryvnias.

According to ТСН: Ukrainians actively use the government program "Winter Support": 12.5 million applications have already been registered in "Diya" and over 700 thousand in "Ukrposhta". The first payments have already been credited to citizens' cards and are mostly used to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine or to pay for utility services.

The government is considering the possibility of adding to the list of goods and services that can be purchased with these funds, including food products of domestic production. This support program is not the only one in the current winter period.

TSN correspondent investigated what other types of assistance Ukrainians are using and which of them are the most popular.

Assistance with heating in frontline regions

Residents of Derhachi in Kharkiv region, Ms. Nina, demonstrates solid fuel received as part of the government program.

Her family, whose house was destroyed during the full-scale invasion, moved closer to Kharkiv. The pension is not enough for heating, so the family took advantage of this program.

This program is aimed at people who:

1. are located within a 10-kilometer zone from the line of contact;

2. were forced to leave their homes due to hostilities but live in frontline areas.

"We compensate for expenses on solid fuel. The first package is assistance funded by international partners. The payment amount is 19,400 hryvnias. We understand that not everyone has received support from international partners, so since November we have introduced a compensation of 8,000 hryvnias for internally displaced persons living in Ukraine,"

says Tetiana Kyriienko, Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine.

For example, Ms. Halyna from Zaporizhzhia has already received funds for firewood.

"We have to live somehow, as my salary is small, and firewood is very expensive,"

says Halyna Liutorovych, a resident of Zaporizhzhia.

The most popular types of 'Winter Support'

The government program 'Winter Support' includes 8 different types of assistance for various population groups. You can familiarize yourself with them on the 'zyma.gov.ua' website.

Among the most popular types of assistance are:

• 1000 hryvnias for all citizens (applications in "Diya").

• 6500 hryvnias for vulnerable population groups.

• Cash compensation for firewood.

• Compensation for electricity expenses for residents of frontline regions.

"Support of 6500 is already almost 200 thousand applications. Regarding electricity, the compensation for electricity is also about 268 thousand applications. In total, this is 185 million because this is a sufficient sum of compensation — 100 kWh per person or 300 kWh per household,"

says the Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine Denys Uliutin.

Funds for electricity compensation can be used flexibly: "We transfer them the funds in an amount that corresponds to the cost of electricity. They can use this money for fuel for the generator, buying power banks, or paying for electricity if the light consumption exceeds the norm."

Energy Efficiency Program

Another government program aimed at increasing the energy resilience of the population and reducing the load on the energy system is the Energy Efficiency Program.

"Under this program, citizens can receive an interest-free loan for up to 10 years. The purchase of equipment is planned for up to 480 thousand hryvnias,"

says Roman Andarak, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine.

With this money, you can buy solar panels or wind turbines, necessarily with hybrid inverters and batteries, allowing energy consumption not only during the day but also at night.

Program conditions:

• No more than 10 kW per installation.

• Area limitation: the house must be no more than 300 square meters.

• Electricity cannot be sold at green tariff.

To participate in the program, you need to contact one of the state banks, submit an application, receive a loan, buy and install equipment. After verification, the state compensates the interest on the loan, thus it becomes interest-free.

"To date, contracts worth 1 billion hryvnias have been signed. 26 MW of such distributed generation has been implemented, which is a significant contribution to our energy resilience. This is state budget funding,"

says Roman Andarak, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine.

Government officials assure that funds for already existing support programs are secured by state resources, as they were laid down last year. The government's plans include continuing to implement new support programs for the population.

Thus, the 'Winter Support' program is an important step in supporting Ukrainians during a difficult winter period. The government is already taking measures to expand the possibilities of assistance, which will undoubtedly affect the well-being of many families, especially in frontline regions, where the need for support is particularly urgent.

The Energy Efficiency Program also opens up new opportunities for Ukrainians wishing to reduce their energy costs and increase comfort in their homes, which is relevant in the context of the current energy crisis.