In Ukraine, 108,000 cases were filed in the past six months over utility bill debts
In the first half of 2026, more than 108,000 enforcement proceedings were initiated in Ukraine due to utility bill arrears. The highest number of new cases was recorded in the Kharkiv region, and debts for heat supply remain the most common.
As of early July, the Unified Register of Debtors contained 829,768 enforcement proceedings related to non-payment of utility bills. Of these, 62% are marked as closed; however, this does not mean that the debts have been paid off. As analysts explain, proceedings may also be closed due to the impossibility of collection or for other reasons, while records of the debt remain in the registry.
The largest number of new enforcement proceedings in 2026 was opened in the Kharkiv region—22,171, accounting for 20% of all new cases. Next are the Dnipropetrovsk region with 19,636 cases (18%) and the Mykolaiv region, where 12,841 cases were opened (12%).
According to Opendatabot, Ukrainians most often accumulate debts for heat supply—these account for 43% of new enforcement proceedings. Another 18% relate to water service debts, 12% to housing services, 11% to natural gas, and 9% to electricity. Proceedings are also initiated for non-payment of household waste collection and other utility services.
Ukrainians aged 46 to 60 make up the largest share of new debtors—35% of the total number of new enforcement proceedings. Nearly a quarter are people over 60, and another 24% are citizens aged 36–45.
Women were named as defendants in 60,141 new enforcement proceedings, accounting for more than half of the total. The largest number of new debts was recorded for a resident of the Mykolaiv region born in 1952—15 enforcement proceedings were opened against her due to electricity bill arrears. Five of them have already been closed, but the debt records remain in the registry.
At the same time, some enforcement proceedings have remained open for years. According to Opendatabot, the oldest unpaid debts have been in the Unified Register of Debtors for over nine years. Specifically, one of them concerns a debt for heating services owed by a resident of the Chernihiv region, while another involves a debt for water supply and sewer services owed by a resident of the Lviv region.
This was reported by Opendatabot.
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