This winter evening I want us to talk about heating in our homes, about how to endure the winter, whether we have enough gas, whether we have enough coal, whether there will be supplied electric energy and how to recalculate the cost of housing and communal services in case the battery is cold, but they included it into the bill as for the hot battery.

Therefore, let me begin, first, with gas, as if we have gas it means the homes are warmed, if we lack it, then it brings into a question how to pass the winter. We have gas in the Ukrainian gas storages. Presently, an overall amount we have is 13 billion cubic meters of gas. This is 2.3 billion more than last year. Hence, we have accumulated enough of gas. We have ceased purchasing Russian gas. On January 1, they issued an invoice with the price of gas at $212 per thousand cubic meters. We do not buy gas from Russia, because we buy gas from the European Union cheaper than Russia offered us. The average cost of purchasing gas in the European Union is about $200.

I want to reiterate for the households that use natural gas for heating homes. We have adopted a decision that you may use 1200 cubic meters of gas (at a reduced price. - ed.) within six months and under the schedule that suits you. For example, December was warm. This means that gas consumption was less. If you saved gas in December, then the amount of saved gas you can easily use in January. Or even if in January you consume more gas than you saved in December, you can use part of gas in the coldest month.

So, for six months you have a volume of gas at a discounted price, which makes up UAH3600, it is half the market value of gas that you can use at your option.

I want to appeal again to all of you that it is necessary to apply for a subsidy. Few people believed that the state would actually help anyone who needs this help. But the truth is as follows: 5.4 million Ukrainian families did not just apply for grants but they are receiving these subsidies. And each of you knows this. If you did not receive a subsidy, your friends, relatives, and friends are getting it. Ask them whether the mechanism offered by the state on reducing the cost of housing and communal services is real. Yes, it is real. Some families pay this year even less than they paid last year.

So, appeal for the subsidies. All the fears that existed six months ago about the fact that it would be impossible to issue the subsidy or that this mechanism would not work, turned out a political lie. Actually, those who have been assigned the subsidy receives direct financial assistance from the state, directly every family Almost every third citizen receives direct financial support from the state.

Now let's talk about people who receive heat through central heating networks. I mean, from district heating providers. And how the bill is calculated for such a family and whether such a bill is tied directly to the temperature in every single apartment.

People complain about the fact that it's cold outside, it’s cold in their apartment, but the bill contains such sums that allegedly the battery is hot, but it is not. Is there a mechanism of re-counting such a tariff? Of course, there is. And I ask you to get familiar with the mechanism and make sure to use it.

If the temperature in your apartment is under 18 degrees Celsius, please, pick up the phone and call either a district heating provider with whom you signed a deal, or your Housing Management Office, or your condominium and inform them that the temperature in your apartment is under 18 degrees, and urgently invite the Commission to draw up a report.

When you talk to them on the phone, be sure to ask the number of the application under which your phone call is registered.

The next step. Within 72 hours such Commission shall arrive immediately, fix the temperature. And in that case, within 72 hours the Commission has not arrived, you have the right to draw up an appropriate act yourself. And to validate this act, please invite two of your housemates to ensure that they witness with their signatures that the temperature in your apartment is really under 18 degrees.

Now about the recalculation scheme. For each degree under the required temperature the bill for the utility service shall be reduced by 5%. For example, if the temperature is your apartment isn’t 18 degrees but 16 degrees, it means that the bill for housing and communal services during this period must be reduced by 10%. In case, if the temperature in the house is 12 degrees, you shouldn’t pay this bill. But for this purpose, just draw up the act, send it to the district heating provider Teplokommunenergo. And this company is obliged, I emphasize, obliged to recalculate the bill for your apartment.

Briefly about the power supply in Ukraine. The largest producer of electric power in Ukraine is the state-owned company Energoatom. The Government has managed to provide state-owned company Energoatom with nuclear fuel. And, by the way, we have succeeded to diversify the supply of nuclear fuel. If previously we were completely dependent on the Russian Federation, now part of the nuclear fuel we buy from the American company Westinghouse.

The second electricity producer is the Heating Generation. And here it requires certain coal reserves. At this stage we have sufficient coal reserves. And everything hinges on further coal supplies to the Ukrainian stations. The Government has allocated funds for the coal purchase and payments in the energy market.

Therefore, blackouts of electricity can only take place in those settlements where electrical lines are damaged due to weather conditions. The day before yesterday I chaired a meeting of the Interdepartmental operative response headquarters of the State Commission for technogenic and environmental safety and emergencies. I put this issue on special control of each head of a region, district and city.

I would like to appeal to representatives of local government and local leaders. Just communicate with people. It's your job. Explain to people how you can re-count rate, how you can use social norm of gas in order to restore heat and electricity, who is responsible for clearing the snow, because it is the direct responsibility and competence of the local authorities.

Therefrom, if everyone does his/her job, then our country will have heat and electricity, and subsidies will be properly issued, and the snow will be cleared. The country will develop. And we’ve got a lot of such common issues.

The year of 2016 has commenced. And this year we need to make many significant transformations, which we will discuss in the next programme. See you next time.