Financial incentives to energy saving in the housing sector of Ukraine

Abstract

В статті розглянуто систему фінансових стимулів, які використовуються в житловому секторі економіки. Проаналізовано ефективність реалізації державних та місцевих програм енергоефективності. З’ясовано основні перешкоди для здійснення енергозберігаючих заходів громадянами та запропоновано заходи щодо їх усунення. Виявлено суперечність між гарантуванням соціального захисту населення і стимулами до здійснення енергоефективних заходів та запропоновано механізм перетворення субсидій на інвестиції в підвищення енергоефективності житлового фонду. Urgency of the research. The problems of energy efficiency and conservation are priorities in Ukraine owing to inefficient energy policy of the state. Target setting. Residential sector in Ukraine is the largest consumer of natural gas and requires significant investment in thermo-modernization of housing. This fact leads to necessity of finding ways to enhance its energy efficiency. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. The problems of energy conservation and energy efficiency are the subject of research of following scientists S. Bevz, M. Bulgakov, V. Jiang, Dzhedzhula D. Zerkalov M. Kovalko, A. Komelina, O. Lyakhov, V. Mikitenko, A. Suhodolya, I. Sotnyk and others. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. The problems of financial incentives for energy saving measures in the residential sector of Ukraine, including in the context of the coordination instruments of social policy with the policy of energy efficiency are understudied. The research objective. The article represents a comprehensive assessment of the system of financial incentives and anti incentives that influence energy efficiency in the residential sector. Authors also develop suggestions for incentives improvement. The statement of basic materials. The article deals with the system of financial incentives that are used in the residential sector. The effectiveness of the state and local energy efficiency programs implementation is being analyzed. The authors determine the main obstacles to the energy efficiency measures implementation by citizens and define ways of overcoming them. The researchers reveal a contradiction between guaranteeing social protection and incentives to implement energy efficiency measures and suggest the mechanism of converting subsidies to investments in energy efficiency of the housing stock. Conclusions. The proposed activities will: boost public investment in housing energy efficiency, reduce household spending on housing and communal services, reduce expenditures of the state budget for financing the subsidies and purchasing energy.