Coming to cities and urban-type settlements across the country: we are scaling up the EU and Government lightbulb exchange programme

As of now, old incandescent light bulbs can be exchanged against energy-saving LED bulbs in cities and urban-type settlements throughout the country, except for the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions. In those regions, the service will be launched since February 9. The exchange is part of the joint Programme initiated by the European Union and the Government of Ukraine.

As a first step, the programme was available in oblast centers, in Kryvyi Rih, Kramatorsk, and Pokrovsk.

From now on, the programme has been scaled up and another 6 million energy-saving bulbs have been delivered to 1,300 Ukrposhta offices in cities and towns across the country. By the end of February even the smallest villages will receive LED bulbs, so that every Ukrainian can benefit from the service and contribute to energy saving.

Since 30 January, Ukrainians have already exchanged almost 1.5 million old incandescent bulbs against new energy- saving LED ones. Most light bulbs, i.e. over 230,000, were exchanged in Kyiv. Dnipro exchanged 130,000; Lviv, 94,000; and Kharkiv, 91,000 electric bulbs.

The European Union is funding 35 million energy-saving LED bulbs for Ukraine as part of the programme.

Ambassador Matti Maasikas, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine:

“Over 1 million energy-saving lightbulbs are already in Ukrainian homes. Hundreds of thousands of people joined the exchange programme by the EU and the Government of Ukraine, replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-saving ones. This took less than a week, and we are convinced that it was a timely and effective solution. If we look at the timeline, very little time has passed between Ukraine’s request and the exchange of the first million of lightbulbs. This quick response by the EU shows how we are providing support in real time. Just as our Ukrainian friends, who have ensured a clear and coordinated exchange process. We will overcome the darkness together. Together, we will win.“

According to expert estimations, the transition to the use of LED bulbs can help reduce electricity consumption by 7 to 10% at peak hours. This can provide significant relief to the electricity system.

The programme is supported by the European Union in response to the appeal of President Zelensky and is implemented by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and JSC Ukrposhta in all regions of Ukraine (except for temporarily occupied territories and illegally annexed Crimea). This new EU-funded programme is part of the European Union’s support for the Ukrainian energy front.