Kyiv's HOA receives millions for generators: how to get compensation.

According to ТСН: Long electricity outages force Kyiv residents to climb 15 or 22 floors on foot, as they also collectively make important decisions to improve life in conditions close to blackout.

The main task for thousands of families becomes ensuring that their high-rise buildings have autonomous power supply so that elevators can operate, water can be supplied, and heat can be maintained during electricity outages.

When electric paradise became hell

Most new buildings in Kyiv depend on electricity.

The lack of light leads to rapid cooling of apartments - the temperature drops after just one hour without power. People can be left without electricity for 15–16 hours a day. During this time, there is no cold or hot water in the buildings, sewage does not work, and food can only be prepared on gas appliances, which is dangerous in apartments.

The path to autonomy: HOAs, initiative, and investments

The easiest way to solve this problem is when HOAs are already established, allowing residents to make decisions collectively. This is also possible in an ordinary building if there is an active group of residents working with the management company.

This way, it is possible to organize fundraising for the purchase and installation of necessary equipment faster. The most popular solutions include generators and inverters with batteries to power the elevators, water pumps, and lighting in common areas.

The cost of the equipment is high and depends on the number of apartments in the building. Residents may be required to pay from 5 to 10 thousand hryvnias depending on the size of their housing.

How much does "autonomous living" cost?

Some HOAs have already purchased generators in 2022, when Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure began. Many people are now installing inverters and buying batteries for them.

At the same time, Kyiv residents note that inverters do not always cope with prolonged outages, as the basic set may only last for 4–6 hours. To continue the system's operation, additional batteries are needed.

• The cost of a powerful inverter (5–15 kW) ranges from 40 to 120 thousand hryvnias.

• Battery batteries (BB) cost from 150 to 400 thousand hryvnias.

• Installation and wiring range from 30 to 80 thousand hryvnias.

The total project cost for HOAs can amount to between 220-250 thousand hryvnias and exceed half a million, depending on the building's height and autonomy requirements.

The long path of fundraising and neighborhood "wars"

The fundraising process takes a lot of time - from voting to the installation of expensive equipment.

"In our building, owners of one-room apartments had to pay 6.5 thousand hryvnias, while residents of two-room and three-room apartments faced 8.5. The fundraising process lasted for 5 months," says Kyiv resident Olga.

She notes that of the 200 apartments, only more than 30 refused to pay, but once the long outages started, some owners hastened their contributions.

Red and green neighbors

Svetlana from Poznyaky says that their building is in the process of fundraising for an inverter installation. People were reluctant to agree to participate due to the large number of rental apartments.

"People are not very willing to agree because most of the apartments in the building are rented," says Svetlana.

To encourage their neighbors, residents publish lists of "red" - those who have not paid, and "green" - those who have made a contribution.

Gather funds again?

In one of the HOAs in the Darnytsia district, they reported that their inverter can only work for 4 hours. Additional batteries are required to continue its operation.

"We need to gather funds from the residents again, and they are not happy about it," said the association.

Access only for "payers"

Some proactive residents have implemented systems that encourage neighbors to contribute financially.

"When there is no light, only those residents who contributed to the generator can use the elevator," says resident Alexander.

Personal autonomy as salvation

Those who can afford it install inverters in their apartments. Kyiv resident Serhiy claims his system lasts up to 8 hours.

"The equipment is not cheap, but it withstands power outages for 8 hours straight," shares Serhiy.

Compensation for expenses from the city

HOA representatives note that they have already received compensation from the city for the purchased equipment. The city government supports projects aimed at implementing alternative energy sources.

In Kyiv, there are 5 municipal tools supporting residential communities that allow for the installation of alternative power sources for apartment buildings.

They offer financial assistance of partial compensation up to 70% of the cost of work and equipment.

How the conditions for compensation changed

After the new conditions were adopted, the compensation for buildings of different heights increased. Now the mechanism allows for compensation of up to 300 thousand hryvnias for high-rise buildings.

How to use city programs

Kyiv has support programs that cover costs for energy efficiency implementation:

1. Partial reimbursement of the cost of independent energy sources:

   Compensation of up to 75% of the cost of generators, inverters, etc.

2. Energy-efficient project competition "70/30%":

   The city pays 70% of the cost of works.

3. "Major repairs" program:

   Financial assistance for reconstruction and major repairs.

4. Financing from the KMDA Revolving Fund:

   Providing loans and credits.

Thus, Kyiv residents have the opportunity to receive financial support for installing alternative and energy-efficient solutions in their homes.