Equipment burned out due to a voltage surge: who compensates the losses and what the court says

UNIAN, photo ua.depositphotos.com Due to power outages and voltage fluctuations in Ukrainians' homes, refrigerators, boilers, and televisions can break down. Can you get your money back for damaged appliances and whom should you go to with such claims, writes Sudovo-yurydycheska hazeta (Judicial and Legal Newspaper).

Power outage schedules remain in effect in Ukraine because of the consequences of Russia's massive attacks on the energy sector. According to Ukrenergo, 5 November the power will be turned off in some regions for all consumers in amounts ranging from two to four rotation groups.

Along with interruptions, people also face voltage fluctuations. However, the mere fact that a device broke after the power returned does not yet prove the energy provider's fault, the publication notes.

The main document in this area is the Law “On the Electricity Market.” Besides it, such disputes rely on the Civil Code, the Retail Electricity Market Rules, the Distribution System Code, and NKREKP Resolution No. 375 on electricity supply quality standards, the article says.

How many volts should be in a socket

According to NKREKP’s clarification, the nominal voltage in a household network is 230 V. Over the course of a week, 95% of averaged readings must remain within ±10%, that is, from 207 to 253 V. At the same time, as emphasized, a short exceedance of 253 V does not by itself mean a violation, since the standard is checked by a separate measurement methodology.

Who is responsible for power quality

The electricity supplier sells electricity under a contract, while grid distribution and current quality are ensured by the distribution system operator, i.e., the regional power company (oblenergo). According to the Retail Market Rules, it is liable for damages caused to a consumer by violating the contract or the rules.

However, as the publication explains, the oblenergo is not always to blame. If the accident occurred in the in-building networks of a multi-story building, the manager, the condominium association (OSBB), or another person maintaining the building's common property may be responsible.

According to NKREKP’s clarification, if a consumer disagrees with how the oblenergo handled their complaint, they can appeal to the Regulator. However, this does not replace going to court and does not guarantee that you will be awarded a specific sum.

The State Service for Energy Supervision (Derzhenergohlyad) oversees the technical condition of networks. Its inspection reports, like measurement results, can serve as evidence in court. If a surge caused a fire, documents from the State Emergency Service (DSNS) and expert conclusions will be needed, the article's authors note.

Must the oblenergo pay?

NKREKP explicitly allows demanding compensation from the distribution system operator if property was damaged due to poor-quality electricity. The claim must state what was damaged and the amount of losses, and it must be reviewed within 30 days.

However, as the publication notes, the obligation to consider a claim does not yet mean an obligation to pay the full amount. If the oblenergo disagrees, the dispute is resolved in court.

There is a separate compensation for poor voltage quality. It amounts to 25% of the fee for electricity distribution services. It is credited monthly from the day of the complaint until the problem is fixed, provided the established conditions are met. However, according to the publication, this money does not cover the cost of a broken refrigerator, television, or boiler. So claiming that any voltage surge guarantees a full refund for your appliance is incorrect.

Does the war absolve from liability

Resolution No. 375 does not provide for compensation if violations were caused by proven force majeure circumstances, certain actions of consumers or third parties, or lawful outage schedules.

At the same time, as the newspaper explains, a power outage and damaged equipment are different things. Martial law by itself does not exempt from liability; the decisive factor is the cause of the specific accident.

How to prove that voltage was at fault

Under the Civil Procedure Code, each party must prove what it asserts. The consumer must show that the device is indeed damaged, how much the losses cost, that the defendant breached its obligations, and that this caused the breakdown. Once the fact of harm and the circumstances of its causation are established, a presumption of fault applies: then the defendant must prove they are not at fault.

Useful will be reports from emergency services, conclusions from service centers, receipts for the appliances and repairs, photos and videos. The publication advises documenting the date and time of the incident, preserving broken devices for inspection, notifying the oblenergo, and finding out whether neighbors complained.

An oblenergo has 15 days to consider a complaint about electricity quality. If measurements are required, the term is 30 days, and for a collective complaint – 45 days. Measurements last at least seven days and are conducted at the operator's expense. However, as the authors emphasize, later measurements will not show a one-time surge that has already passed. Therefore, evidence should be gathered immediately after the incident.

What courts decide

As reported, in Kyiv in July 2024 a fire occurred in an apartment building. As courts found, due to improper maintenance of the in-building networks, a voltage of about 380 V entered an apartment, and electrical appliances ignited. The Obolonskyi District Court recovered 454 577,46 UAH in property damages from the district management company and 5000 UAH in non-pecuniary damages for each of the two co-owners. The Kyiv Court of Appeal in October 2025 left the decision unchanged.

In the village of Bila in the Chernivtsi region, after a transformer malfunction, voltage spiked to 350–400 V, and equipment broke in several homes. 26 residents turned to the energy company. One of them sued Chernivtsioblenergo and recovered 1850 UAH for refrigerator repairs and 5000 UAH in non-pecuniary damages. Regarding other appliances, the court refused because the expenses for them were not supported by evidence. The appeal did not change the decision. The measurement protocol cited by the oblenergo was compiled only the day after the accident.

A Zhytomyr resident, who bought voltage stabilizers due to systematically unstable voltage, succeeded in having the court oblige Zhytomyroblenergo to provide quality electricity and pay her 10 000 UAH in non-pecuniary damages. The appeal upheld this decision, and the Supreme Court in December 2025 refused the energy company's request to open cassation proceedings.

But a resident whose capacitors allegedly exploded after the accident, and whose tester showed 395 V, lost in court. The man demanded 100 thousand UAH from the municipal enterprise Zhytlovyk. However, the Artsyz District Court in Odesa region decided that he did not prove with documents either the damage to specific devices, the cause of the breakdown, or the amount of losses.

A plaintiff who demanded more than 1,7 million UAH from Khmelnytskyioblenergo for improper voltage in a residential building also failed. Derzhenergohlyad recorded deviations up to 257,08 V. However, the contract with the oblenergo was concluded by the house owner, and the plaintiff did not prove their right to payments. The Supreme Court on 3 March 2026 left the refusal unchanged.

Meanwhile, the owner of a house where a fire occurred recovered 1 934 912 UAH. The fire was linked to a possible short circuit in the electric meter, which was on the oblenergo's balance. The Rivne Court of Appeal upheld this decision.

Ukraine’s energy sector - other news

Earlier, MP Oleksii Kucherenko said that all key substations around Kyiv are seriously damaged, and the capital itself can produce only 10–15% of the electricity it needs. According to him, voltage spikes are what stop the metro, because automatic equipment protection is triggered by them. So he believes schedules and emergency outages will remain a constant reality for Kyiv residents.

At the same time, expert Yurii Korolchuk said that accidents in the power system will become more frequent even without missile strikes, because substation equipment is worn out and long overdue for major repairs. In his view, during a failure the dispatcher immediately de-energizes the system to prevent a domino effect. He believes the situation will begin to stabilize closer to the end of next week, but the winter due to such failures will resemble the last one.