OREANDA-NEWS. September 30, 2010. The Government plans to implement in Ukraine a large-scale investment projects to increase energy efficiency and introduce a “social energy basket”. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said this at a Cabinet’s meeting.

The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Fuel and Energy, Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy to explore this investment project, which "provides reducing energy payment for those who use scientifically based regulatory scope, and increase the payment for extra energy. According to him, this system is already the norm for Poland and Belarus.

Mykola Azarov has said that the Government's innovative decisions on energy saving in housing and communal services are key ones, because in some cases loss of energy reaches up to 50%. "And for these losses people pay out of their pockets", he said.

Instead, the introduction of metering and regulating water and thermal energy will allow consumers to save up to 50% of family budgets, which are used to pay utilities.

At the same time the Prime Minister stressed that the issue of energy efficiency is especially acute today, given the steady growth in energy prices. "So, Ukraine has to be ready for this development. Our responsibility is not only to protect the vulnerable population by subsidies, but to give all citizens a tool for energy efficiency in their homes", said Mykola Azarov, adding that the issue of economical use of resources should be in the spotlight of all sectors of the economy.