Series of trainings for journalists started in 10 cities

Change Mentality of Ukrainians towards Energy Efficiency - Goal of Training Seminars for Journalists. Experts of the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project are confident that the Ukrainians should be taught today how to consume the available energy resources correctly, and in general mentality should be changed towards the responsible and energy saving behavior. And it should start with those who form public opinion, i.e. from the journalists covering the topics related to energy reform and reform of the housing and communal services sector from the negative perspective. That is why the Project experts are conducting a series of seminars where they provide the journalists with the most comprehensive information on such important topics as energy efficiency in buildings, energy potential of Ukraine, and alternative energy sources. Read more<<

Premiere at UA: First TV Channel!

On Sunday, October 25, at 11:10 am, watch the premier episode of "Your Home," produced for television with the support of the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine.

Why do tariffs increase, and how can you reduce your utility costs? Who can you trust to manage your building? How can you receive a housing subsidy? What's the right way to insulate a building? These and other pressing questions from viewers will be answered by a series of programs, broadcast every Sunday. Please join us! You are sure to find the information you need to make living in your own home more comfortable.

 

 

Seminar for Representatives of Ukrainian libraries

On 22 and 24 October 2015, the seminars for representatives of the libraries in Ukraine "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Use in Public Buildings" were conducted. They were organized by Bibliomist program and the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project (MERP). MERP experts and specialists of "Henkel Bautechnik", "REHAU" and "Sempal" told the audience about energy efficiency in buildings, energy balance of Ukraine, characteristics of building heat insulation, how best to transfer to alternative energy sources, and why it is important to meter consumption of resources. The seminar also discussed how to form personal and public opinion, the art of presentation, and how to change the mentality and create the nation of responsible consumers.

This Is Your Home – Be Its Master!

On 10 October 2015, the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project (MERP), in cooperation with the Department of Condominium Support of Lviv City Council and Municipal Development  Institute, started information campaign "This Is Your Home – Be Its Master." Within the scope of the Project, experts from the Condominium Resource Center meet with the residents of multi-apartment buildings in Sykhivskyi district of Lviv. The purpose is to convey to people information about how to change the world around you, starting with your own home, to prepare Lviv residents to the housing and communal sector reform, to raise awareness and responsibility of the residents of multi-apartment buildings, and to promote energy efficiency. In support of the information campaign, MERP experts developed a series of brochures "Energy: what to do and where to get the money?", "Building management: how to exercise your rights", "Our home - our property" which can be reviewed on our website.

Winners of Journalist Contest Rewarded in Kyiv

On 24 June 2015, a formal awarding ceremony was conducted for the journalists-winners of the contest for best published materials on energy efficiency, alternative and clean energy, advantages of condominiums, tariff reform and social protection for population. The contest was conducted by USAID Municipal Energy Reform in Ukraine Project (MERP) together with the Center for Ukrainian Reform Education (CURE), and with sponsorship of the largest oil and gas company of Ukraine  Burisma Holdings. The contest was conducted among the journalists of Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kherson and Chernihiv oblasts which are partners in implementation of USAID MERP pilot programs.
The contest was conducted in the nominations for the best material in printed and online media, best TV and radio materials. 132 materials from more than 30 journalists from different parts of Ukraine were submitted to the contest – 10 of them were recognized the winners. Read more <<

Use Alternative Energy Sources!

USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine, in cooperation with J. Walter Thompson Ukraine advertising agency, has designed a new series of posters for the information campaign on energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. Social partner of MERP in the regions is BigMedia, a sales house of BigBoard Ukraine, the leader of outdoor advertising market. At the beginning of April, the residents of MERP partner cities saw in their streets the billboards calling for reduced consumption of natural gas through its substitution with alternative energy sources. How to receive heat and electricity using the sun, how to refuse from gas due to use of biomass? What alternative energy sources are most effective in your area and how to start applying them? Answers to all your questions you can get on our website and on the website of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency of Ukraine. The campaign is held under the slogan "Save Heat – Save Ukraine!".

Submission of the Contest Applications is Over!

Dear journalists! Our congratulations to all participants of our contest for the best published materials on the issues of energy efficiency, alternative and clean energy, advantages of condominiums, tariff reform and social safety nets for population. Results of the contest will be published at the end of May on our web site, our Facebook page, and on the web site of the contest sponsor– Burisma oil and gas company. We wish all the participants success and inspiration in their professional activities and in everyday life! We wish you happiness!

Training on Outreach Activities for OSBB

 

On March 17–18, experts of the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project (MERP) in Ukraine conducted in Kyiv the first training seminar on information activities for personnel of the Condominium and Clean Energy Resource Centers. 29 representatives of the Resource Centers from Kamianets-Podilskyi, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kramatorsk, Kyiv, Lutsk, Lviv, Pavlohrad, Sumy, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhia participated in this event. During two days, participants of the seminar were mastering the skills of efficient communication and consulting for representatives of the different target audiences: residents of multi-apartment buildings, journalists, officials etc. The following topics were considered at the seminar: energy efficiency in multi-apartment buildings, social safety nets, housing and communal programs, investments and business planning, public relations, legal and regulatory issues of condominium establishment and management, etc. Next training seminar will take place at the end of April in Dnipropetrovsk, and the third concluding seminar – in May, in Kamianets-Podilskyi. Read more <<

Simplified System of Subsidies to be Launched

 

Simplified system of subsidies for housing and communal services to be launched in Ukraine. USAID Municipal Energy Reform (MER) Project, together with the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine (Minsocpolicy), conducted a seminar “New Mechanisms and Opportunities for Providing Subsidies to Pay for Housing and Communal Services”. The seminar was attended by more than 90 employees of the Minsocpolicy Oblast Departments for Social Protection of Population. Deputy Minister of Social Policy Vitalii Myshchynin, Director of the Minsocpolicy Department of Social Assistance Vitalii Muzychenko, and USAID MERP experts told the representatives of the Minsocpolicy Oblast Departments for Social Protection of Population about the new, simplified program of subsidies to pay for housing and communal services that will become effective from 1 May 2015. The issues considered and explained at the seminar included the mechanism of simplified procedure for receiving subsidy to pay for housing and communal services in the conditions of growing prices for energy carriers and tariffs, obtaining data and taking income into account during appointment of subsidies, organization of work of the social protection bodies to ensure providing of the relevant services to all categories of population that will apply for assistance.

Save Heat – Save Ukraine!

MERP Project continues its information campaign on energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. In January, Project Communication team in cooperation with JWT Advertising finalized the creative design of billboard posters that promote insulation of building as a whole, installation of heat meters and weather-based control systems. The posters appeal to residents of multi-apartment buildings to take recommended measures and save 40% on energy consumption. These posters will start blanket MERP partner-cities in February, 2015. The campaign is conducted under the general slogan “Save heat – Save Ukraine!” 

MOU on Clean Energy Signed

On February 5, MERP signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with the Ministry of Environment on Global Climate Change and Low Emissions Development Strategies. Under this Memorandum, the Ministry and MERP will cooperate on activities such as: improvement of the normative and legal framework in the sphere of clean energy; creation of favorable conditions for attraction of investments in the clean energy sector; Government of Ukraine institutional capacity building and dissemination of international experience; enhanced Government of Ukraine capacity in development of low emission policy. The Ministry agreed to establish a Global Climate Change  Working group to be a platform for all project support and activities.

Municipal Energy Reform in Ukraine

USAID-Ukraine Strengthens Partnership with Eight Partner Cities on Energy Reform. On January 14, USAID-Ukraine Mission Director Jed Barton launched the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project (MERP) ‘Introduction Workshop for the Second Group of Partner Cities’. The workshop gathered mayors, deputy mayors and energy managers from eight new MERP partner-cities: Khmelnytskyi, Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, Lutsk, Pavlohrad, Rivne, Sumy, and Ternopil. The event introduced areas of MERP sustainable capacity building energy reform cooperation with municipalities, such as: Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs), pursuant to the EU Covenant of Mayors methodology; and Development of municipal energy management systems. Overall, MERP works with 17 cities in Ukraine. During the previous year, cooperation was launched with Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kherson, Kramatorsk, Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhiia. Two cities, Lviv and Kamyanets-Podilskyi, are MERP associated partners, who already reached results in successful energy reform implementation. 

 

Sustainable Energy Days in Lutsk

MERP supported organization of the Sustainable Energy Days in Lutsk. The aim of the event was to present and promote work of city administration, local NGOs and donors projects on energy efficiency. City Mayor Mr. Mykola Romaniuk chaired the event, during which MERP DCOP presented best practices of energy efficiency measures in public and residential buildings, and informed interested participants about commercial lending from Bank Lviv (under the DCA program) for energy efficiency improvements, i.e. in residential HOAs buildings. In addition, MERP team distributed over 400 copies of information materials on energy efficiency, tariff regulation and OSBB development. City administration and local HOAs expressed high appreciation of MERP support and assistance on energy efficiency measures.

10th National Communal Services Congress

MERP supported the National Communal Services Congress organized by MinRegion. About 200 participants representing GOU ministries and agencies, IFIs and donors, cities, communal services utilities, service providers and manufacturers of energy efficient equipment, professional associations and NGOs attended this event. Project COP Bil Tucker participated in the opening ceremony with the GOU officials (Mr. Savchuk, Head of SAEE; Mr. Mohnik, Minister of Environment; Mr. Kistion, First Deputy Minister of MinRegion) and provided welcoming remarks on the issues related to reforms in energy efficiency sector. In addition, MERP experts participated in several workshops and panel discussions on end-use energy efficiency in communal sector, presented new financial mechanisms (DCA and ESCO), as well as discussed regulatory changes needed to succeed with municipal energy reform.

Trainings for Journalists in MERP Pilot Cities

MERP team recently conducted trainings for journalists from its seven pilot cities, such as Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kherson, Kiev, Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhia. During trainings, that combined presentations and interactive discussions, MERP team covered topics related to Energy Balance of Ukraine, Energy Efficiency (EE) in Buildings, Alternative Energy (AE) Resources, Development and Realization of SEAPs, Outreach work to change mentality of Ukrainians towards EE, Why Tariffs Go Up, among others. 117 representatives of local media outlets including regional TV channels attended the trainings. The trainings were organized in cooperation with Center for Ukraine’s Reform in Education (CURE), and Burisma Company, which is the sponsor of contest for journalists on best analytical material related to the themes of EE and AE. The contest was announced on December 1, 2014 and will last through March 30, 2015.
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Change mentality.

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