Power Outages: What Does a Kilowatt from a Generator Really Cost?.

As reported by 'Khvylia', this is mentioned in the material by RBC-Ukraine.

According to inkorr.com: Constant power outages have forced many Ukrainians to buy generators to connect household appliances. However, the cost of electricity obtained from generators significantly exceeds regular tariffs.

Current Electricity Tariffs

Today, Ukrainians pay 4.32 hryvnias per kilowatt-hour. Owners of two-zone meters can save by using the night tariff (from 23:00 to 7:00) at a preferential price of 2.16 UAH/kW·h. The last tariff increase occurred in June 2024, and the government has fixed these prices until the end of April 2026, as noted by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Types of Generators

The market offers gas, gasoline, and diesel generators. Gasoline and diesel models are the most popular. Gasoline generators are suitable for occasional use with low power and are usually cheaper. Diesel options are more economical during long-term operation, thanks to lower fuel consumption, although they are generally louder and more expensive.

The Real Cost of Electricity from a Generator

The cost of electricity obtained from a generator vastly exceeds the state tariff. As noted by Serhiy Kuyun from the 'A-95' company, a kilowatt-hour can cost up to 30 hryvnias compared to 4.32 UAH at the daytime tariff.

Price analysis on the Hotline platform shows the following picture (as of the end of October):

• The popular gasoline model K&S BASIC KSB 21i S (1.8 kW) costs around 18,900 UAH and consumes 0.3 L per kW·h. With the price of gasoline A-92 at 57.14 UAH per liter, a kilowatt-hour costs approximately 17.14 UAH.
• A more powerful model MaXpeedingRODs MXR3500 (3 kW) for 28,100 UAH consumes 0.2 L per kW·h — that's about 11.42 UAH, which is three times more expensive than the grid electricity tariff.
• The diesel model SOLAX SDJ8500ME (5.2 kW) costing 32,130 UAH consumes 0.3 L per kW·h. With the diesel price at 55.56 UAH, this amounts to 16.66 UAH — almost four times more than the usual tariff.

Kuyun adds that at minimal loads, the cost of electricity becomes very high. It is also worth considering that generators require regular maintenance — oil replacement every 50 hours, as well as filters and batteries, which can cost from several hundred to thousands of hryvnias.

Earlier, it was reported that the military warns Ukrainians about possible difficulties this winter.