1 million LED bulbs exchanged by legal entities under the EU-Ukrainian Government programme

Together we bring light – legal entities have added another million to the more than 20 million LED bulbs received by Ukrainians as part of the all-Ukrainian programme to replace incandescent bulbs with modern LEDs, helping to save thousands of kilowatts of invaluable energy for Ukraine.

The European Union and Ukraine are taking the necessary measures to restore and strengthen the resilience of the Ukraine’s energy system, providing comprehensive support at all levels. Replacing light bulbs is one of these steps that can save energy and heat, so conscious energy consumption should become a conscious rule for every Ukrainian.

Since the start of the programme, millions of Ukrainians have participated, exchanging more than 20 million bulbs, and this opportunity has recently been extended to legal entities. Over a short period of time, multifamily buildings, medical institutions, schools, and cultural and sports facilities have replaced old bulbs with more than 1 million energy-saving LEDs. Legal entities in the Chernihiv, Zhytomyr and Rivne regions are the most active in exchanging light bulbs.

Katarína Mathernová, European Union Ambassador to Ukraine emphasized: “The European Union is making every effort to help Ukraine overcome the energy challenges of the upcoming winter. Another million modern LED bulbs that will work in schools, hospitals, sports complexes, cultural institutions, multifamily buildings – together with over 20 million bulbs that are already lighting up the homes of Ukrainians – will be a powerful energy-saving force. Last winter, Russian shelling damaged the energy system; therefore every kilowatt saved by Ukrainians using LED bulbs and mindfully consuming energy is a contribution to the country’s resilience. The European Union stands with Ukraine. Together we will win.”

According to experts, the switch to modern lightbulbs will reduce peak power consumption by 7-10%. This will help to significantly reduce power shortages in the system.

Yulia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine pointed out: “The light bulb exchange programme aims to reduce the load on the national electricity grid. This is particularly important in winter when electricity consumption increases. We are grateful to all those who have already joined the government’s initiative and supported the country’s energy front with their actions. As a reminder, citizens have already exchanged over 20 million light bulbs.”

If you have not yet done so, we urge you to replace your old light bulbs with new LED bulbs. Winter is coming. And the rational use of energy resources will once again become the most urgent issue for the stable operation of the Ukrainian energy system.”

The rules and regulations for replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs remain unchanged.

Legal entities can exchange:

• Three bulbs per 10 square metres in classrooms, meeting rooms, premises of the housing fund of an apartment building manager, condominiums;
• Two bulbs per 10 square metres in public areas.

To exchange an old bulb for a LED lamp, please send a request via the Diia portal by following the steps below:

• log in to the Diia portal using the legal entity’s QES;
• check the details of your organisation;
• in the Services section, select Light Bulb Exchange and fill in the request form;
• indicate the area in the calculator; once you see the available limit, select the number and types of bulbs;
• tick the box that you agree to hand over the same number of incandescent bulbs;
• indicate the address of your organisation;
• check and confirm the data in the generated request form;
• confirm your request with the legal entity’s QES.

Upon receipt of the request, within a week Ukrposhta representatives will contact the applicant on the phone number provided and advise on further steps to receive the energy-saving bulbs.

Please note that the household bulb exchange programme is also ongoing and individuals can exchange up to 5 incandescent bulbs for the same number of LED bulbs. The programme is available in 23 regional centres of Ukraine and 120 district settlements. Energy-saving bulbs can be obtained from Ukrposhta offices.

Supported by the European Union, the Light Bulb Exchange Programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and Ukrposhta in all regions of Ukraine except for the combat zone and temporarily occupied territories.

Media contact:

Tetiana Voronina, Media Expert, ‘Communicating the European Union for Ukrainians’ (CEU4U), an EU-funded project implemented by Ecorys, tvoronina9@gmail.com, +38 067 501 11 83