Electricity consumption in Ukraine falls to a historic low

Electricity consumption in Ukraine in August 2026 decreased by 9% compared to last year - to 5604 GWh. According to ExPro Consulting, this is the lowest monthly figure in the history of observations. At the same time, natural gas consumption fell by almost a quarter - to 597 million cubic meters.

This is evidenced by data from ExPro Consulting, cited by Forbes Ukraine.

According to ExPro Consulting electricity market analyst Darya Orlova, the August electricity consumption figure became a historical minimum. On the gas market, a lower result was only recorded in August 2022 - then Ukraine used 530 million cubic meters of gas. In August this year, consumption amounted to 597 million cubic meters, reported ExPro analyst Mykhailo Svishcho.

Weather and loss of large consumers put pressure on demand

Energy Map data show that the situation changed significantly during August. At the beginning of the month, abnormal heat and active use of air conditioners supported high demand. However, after August 11, temperatures dropped, and high generation from household solar power plants further reduced the take-up of electricity from the grid.

However, weather explains only part of the decline. According to Energy Map estimates, in the second half of August, the load from certain large mining and metallurgical enterprises decreased due to Russian shelling. Consumption also declined in other sectors due to strikes on warehouse infrastructure, seaports, and other enterprises.

A similar trend is observed on the gas market. Even in late August, ExPro recorded an excess of supply over current demand in the commercial segment. Analysts linked this to reduced operation of industrial enterprises after Russian attacks, as well as problems with product exports due to damage to port infrastructure.

As a result, Ukrainian gas traded at the end of August about 48% cheaper than at European hubs. Additionally, an excess of gas accumulated on the domestic market due to the ban on gas exports from Ukraine.

The drop in demand allowed increasing electricity exports

Low domestic consumption together with increased available generation significantly changed the external electricity balance. In August, Ukraine exported 380.9 thousand MWh of electricity - 63.8% more than in July. Imports amounted to only 184 thousand MWh.

Thus, Ukraine remained a net exporter of electricity for the second month in a row, with exports exceeding imports almost twofold. At the end of August, the gap became even larger: from August 24-31, daily export volumes on some days exceeded imports by 10-13.5 times.

The trend continued at the beginning of September. For the week from August 31 to September 6, Ukraine exported 113.4 thousand MWh of electricity against 22.4 thousand MWh of imports - meaning sales abroad exceeded purchases by about five times.

Gas reserves for the winter have already reached the target level

Low summer consumption is happening against the backdrop of active accumulation of resource before the heating season. As of August 28, Ukrainian underground storage facilities contained 14.6 billion cubic meters of gas. According to the Ministry of Energy, Ukraine reached the target for the base winter scenario about a month ahead of plan.

With the start of the cold season, gas and electricity consumption will naturally grow due to heating and increased household load. However, the stable recovery of industrial demand in particular will largely depend on the operation of large enterprises, the state of export logistics, and the scale of further Russian attacks.

Therefore, the current historic low in electricity consumption is not only a consequence of seasonal fluctuations. August data simultaneously reflect a reduction in load from part of industry and business, while available generation increasingly creates a surplus for selling electricity abroad.

Sources: Forbes Ukraine, Energy Map, ExPro Consulting