Unfortunately, Ukrainians have already gotten used to relying on schedules of hourly power outages—the very same “GPA” schedules where you can see exactly when the power will go out in your home and when, in theory, it will come back on. But in recent days, a new abbreviation—SGAV—has been appearing more and more frequently in the energy lexicon, and to many, it sounds like something incomprehensible and bizarre. And although at first glance it seems like just another type of schedule, the difference between them is actually fundamental.
SGAV—special emergency blackout schedules—are not about planned consumption restrictions, but about saving the power grid from collapse. They must be implemented when every minute—and even every second—counts. In early November 2026, special emergency blackout schedules were already being implemented in the Poltava and Sumy regions, and prior to that—in the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and other regions.
What are SGAVs, what do they mean for the average person, how do SGAVs differ from the usual GPVs and GAVs, and what should we expect from the coming winter? UA.News, together with experts, looked into the issue.
What Is SGAV
As noted above, the abbreviation SGAV stands for “special schedule of emergency power outages.” In documents and announcements from regional power companies, you may also come across the variant “SpetsGAV.” It sounds a bit funny, but unfortunately, there’s nothing funny about it at all.
Formally, it refers to a set of measures aimed at rapidly reducing the load on the power grid on a large scale. To put it in plain language rather than bureaucratic jargon, it means that a dispatcher at Ukrenergo issues a command—and power utility workers instantly cut off power to entire lines, rather than individual homes, streets, or groups of consumers.
The key difference from regular schedules lies in the scale and speed. SGAV involves shutting down 35–110 kV lines, as well as transformers and busbar sections at substations of the corresponding class. This means that not just individual homes and streets, but entire neighborhoods, cities, or even regions may be left without power. This is exactly what happened in the Chernihiv region, where 87% of the region’s consumers were left without power during the implementation of the SGAV. That is why experts refer to the SGAV as a last resort: it is implemented when other measures have failed.
Another critically important detail: rolling blackouts cannot be planned in advance. While schedules for hourly outages are published in advance and allow people to plan their day, SGAV is implemented upon a special command from a dispatcher at NPC “Ukrenergo” and must be carried out within a maximum of three (!) minutes. By comparison, up to 15 minutes are allowed for regular emergency outages (GAV). This is not a whim of the power companies, but a necessity, because when power in the grid drops below a critical level, every second counts, and any delay threatens a cascading failure of the entire system.
Finally, the SGAV is not just about residential consumers. It also involves cutting off power to critical infrastructure facilities (subways, hospitals, fire stations, etc.), as well as consumers who use their own electricity imported from Europe. In other words, even those with priority in supply—whether they have their own generation or imported resources—are still not immune.
How SGAV Differs from GPV and GAV: Three Different Tools
To understand the logic behind the energy sector’s decisions, it’s worth breaking down all three types of restrictions once again.
HOS (hourly outage schedules) are a tool for predictive balancing. They are used when a power shortage can be predicted in advance and allow for the planning of rolling blackouts during specific hours. It is these HOPs that most Ukrainians are used to seeing on regional power companies’ websites: groups, each divided into subgroups, with specific time windows, and so on.
Emergency Power Outage Schedules (EPOS) represent the next level. They are used during large-scale grid failures when the situation has already spiraled out of control but has not yet reached a critical threshold. EUPs, like S-EUPs, are implemented on the dispatcher’s command, but more time is allowed for their execution (up to 15 minutes), and they generally do not involve power cuts to critical infrastructure facilities.
And here lies the main difference: SGAV is the very last resort, implemented when the system is on the verge of collapse and requires immediate and large-scale load shedding. If GPV is a controlled restriction and GAV is a response to a failure, then SGAV is a rescue at any cost. That is precisely why it does not follow a standard schedule: it is physically impossible to plan, as it depends on the current situation in the power grid, which changes every minute.
Another practical difference is duration. Regular emergency blackouts usually last up to 12 hours. Emergency load shedding, unfortunately, can last much longer—until balance is fully restored in the system. This means that consumers should be prepared for the possibility that the power may be out for a very long time.
What Ukrainians Should Expect: Preparation Instead of Panic
The main practical takeaway for every family is simple: SGAV can catch you off guard. Since this mode is implemented without warning, you shouldn’t count on having enough time to charge your power bank or power station, or to prepare food “on schedule.” That is precisely why you should treat the possible implementation of SGAV as a scenario for which you need to be prepared in advance.
What does this mean in practice?
First, if possible, make sure you have portable power sources—power banks, charging stations, rechargeable flashlights—and keep them charged at all times, not just when a “power outage is announced.”
Second, it’s a good idea to keep a supply of water and ready-to-eat food at home, since during a power outage, disruptions can occur not only with electricity but also with the water supply (since pumping stations also rely on electricity).
Third, don’t forget warm clothing and blankets if the outages occur during cold weather, and check that any alternative heating sources in your house or apartment are in working order.
It’s also worth mentioning household appliances: during a sudden power outage, voltage spikes may occur, so it’s best to unplug sensitive electronics (computers, TVs, refrigerators, etc.) if you notice the lights “flickering” or dimming significantly. This will significantly reduce the risk of damage and equipment failure. It’s also a good idea to find out in advance whether your building has a generator or inverter to power elevators and pumps.
And one more thing to keep in mind: the SGAV is not a permanent measure. It is implemented to stabilize the system and is lifted as soon as balance is restored. But while it is in effect, utility companies are doing everything possible to stabilize the situation.
Expert
Opinions
Serhiy T., a senior engineer at one of Kyiv’s thermal power plants, commented on this situation for UA.News as follows.
“I can simply explain how this works in the energy sector when consumption exceeds generation and transmission. There are frequency-based emergency shutdown systems. When consumption rises and generation is lower—or the generated power cannot be transmitted through the grid—the voltage begins to drop and the frequency decreases. Our grid operates at 50 Hz. When it drops to 47.6—even before reaching that level—consumers start to be automatically cut off. And when the frequency drops even lower, almost everyone gets cut off so that the frequency stays around 50, give or take. All of this happens automatically. If there is significant damage to the grid right now, and consumers continue to use a lot of power, then, most likely, power will be cut off to consumers without mercy. This is done to keep the frequency stable, because that’s what keeps the power system running—this 50 Hz.
This is how a balance is maintained between electricity consumption, generation, and transmission. In other words, the amount generated is equal to the amount consumed. And to ensure this “debit and credit” balance out, we need to cut off all consumers whose usage is “interfering”... The term “SGAV” itself is probably something from the dispatchers’ lexicon. It does indeed exist, but it’s purely a dispatcher’s term. That’s why I don’t even see what there is to discuss here, by and large,” noted our interviewee.
Oleg Popenko, an expert in housing and utilities, tariffs, and energy, and chairman of the Union of Utility Consumers, says: SGAV is a situation where no schedule works.
“Not even the emergency schedule works—in other words, it’s impossible to manage this process. In such a case, the timeframe for restoring service is unknown, and no one can provide any estimates.” At the same time, I’ll note that this isn’t exactly new: SGAVs were used a year ago as well, but people just didn’t talk about it as much back then. Such outages occur when the system completely spirals out of control and it’s impossible to predict the situation. Outages during SGAV events can affect entire regions. Of course, this is evidence of systematically growing, enormous problems in the energy sector. I would even call them catastrophic problems. Most likely, we can expect similar blackouts throughout the winter of 2026–2027,” concluded Oleg Popenko.
To sum up, SGAV is simply another acronym in the energy lexicon. It is also a signal that the system is in a critical state, and the government is forced to resort to extreme measures to prevent its complete collapse. SGAV differs from the usual hourly blackout schedules in its scale (entire districts, cities, or even regions instead of individual buildings and streets), speed (a maximum of a few minutes instead of 15), and the absence of any warning. It is implemented when other measures have failed and is lifted only after balance is restored.
For Ukrainians, this means a simple but grim reality: it’s not worth counting on a stable power supply this winter. But there’s no need to panic prematurely either. And if you prepare for all of this in advance—with power banks, charging stations, a supply of water, warm clothing, and an understanding of what’s happening—getting through this period might be a little easier.
