New electrical voltage standard for Ukraine: departure from old norms or paper reform without network readiness
From July 1, 2025, a new standard of nominal voltage in power grids — 230/400 volts instead of the current 220/380 — will enter into force in Ukraine. This change formally looks like a minor adjustment of parameters, but in fact it records the transition of the country to a completely different technical, regulatory and infrastructural paradigm. It is about reviewing the entire approach to assessing the voltage at the connection point, the compliance of domestic and industrial appliances, the line of responsibility between the consumer and the system operator, as well as the state of the power grids and the price that will have to be paid for the gradual adaptation to this standard. Behind this innovation is an attempt to switch to the European system of standards, to reduce losses in networks, and in the future to unify accounting, design, equipment purchases, and operating modes. At the same time, it exposes a number of systemic vulnerabilities that require analysis.
230 instead of 220: what actually means a new voltage standard for Ukraine
From July 1, 2025, Ukraine will officially switch to a new voltage standard in the power grid: 230/400 V instead of the usual 220/380 V. Changes that seem insignificant at the household level are actually a technical shift affecting infrastructure, energy security and the market. And although consumers are unlikely to notice an immediate difference, because the sockets will still have the same current, in fact the way of thinking of energy companies and the approach to the quality of supply is changing.
Back in April 2025, the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NRECP) approved resolution on changing the nominal voltage standard. This decision is related to the integration of the Ukrainian energy system into the European energy space (ENTSO-E) and the gradual transition to EU technical standards. In European countries, the 230/400 V standard established by the international organization IEC has been in effect for a long time. The Ukrainian power system kept the Soviet 220/380 V, effectively balancing on the border between the old and new technical world. This situation created contradictions when connecting European equipment, complicated standardization and technical interaction within the continental power system. The transition to 230 V should be perceived as the so-called technical “maturity” of the country’s power system and a step towards more stable, unified energy supply, fewer accidents and better current quality for the end user.
The new standard covers both phase and line voltage. Instead of 220 V to the socket, now nominally 230 V will go. And instead of 380 V, there will be 400 V on three-phase lines. However, the change does not occur by means of a mechanical “increase in pressure”, but due to the settings of the transformers, which regulate the voltage level at the output. Most of the transformer substations in Ukrainian cities have an input voltage of 10 kV, and previously it was reduced to 380 V. Now they will step down to 400 V, which automatically creates a phase voltage of 230 V. In many regions, this change has already taken place “de facto”, since technicians, focusing on real loads, already set the voltage closer to 230 V. That is, it is safe to say that the new standard is nothing more than a formalization of what has been implemented in practice for a long time. But now the regulator is fixing new limits: the permissible deviations will be from 207 to 253 V instead of the previous range of 198-242 V.
How Ukraine “sat” on 220 V and why now is the time to move on
It is symbolic that the 220/380 V standard, which was still active in Ukraine, appeared in the middle of the 20th century, together with black and white televisions, wooden shields and transformers, which are still standing on the outskirts of cities. Everything was simple: electricity was supplied according to a scheme that suited the Soviet industry, because it was simple, cheap, and most importantly, it worked.
When Europe officially switched to the 230 V standard in 1987, it bet on efficiency, uniformity and lower network losses. At that time, Ukraine did not even plan to leave the orbit of the USSR. After 1991, technical standards were simply “transferred” into Ukrainian legislation, and the country lived for decades in a parallel reality, where washing machines from Germany work in apartments designed for other network parameters.
Ironically, the transition to 230 V de facto began long before the official resolution of 2025. Power engineers in big cities have long been adjusting transformers for modern technology, because complaints about “shortage” were increasing more and more. In large cities of Ukraine, the real voltage in sockets in the 2020s often already exceeded 225 V, but no one brought it to the news headlines.
Now the state is catching up with what happened “in the shadows” a long time ago. And this new standard of 230 V simply became a public acknowledgment that the time of the old schemes has passed. The state shows that it is ready to give up the “Zhyguls” who are still driving, but do not guarantee that they will arrive.
Therefore, the new standard means full synchronization with European norms, which Ukraine has ignored or postponed “for later” for decades. Today it “then” came. The regulator has already approved the new parameters. This technical solution has a clear political and strategic basis: deeper integration with the European energy system, reduction of losses, improvement of power supply quality. Most of the talk about the new voltage standard sounds like a dry technical document: “It is necessary to update the equipment, modernize it, ensure safety.” But behind these official words hide real problems, which revolve around big money, headache and very specific risks.
Probably, the officials perceive the transition to the new standard as a simple replacement of light bulbs and switches. In fact, this is a gigantic job in the conditions of worn-out networks: transformers must be adjusted, switchboards modernized, automatic machines changed, and also change or adapt equipment both in homes and factories. And here the key question arises regarding the financing of all these requirements. Budgetary institutions, communal enterprises and the majority of the population do not have financial support, and therefore simply will not be able to “extract”. Already in some regions, businesses are delaying upgrades due to lack of money, and ordinary people feel that “buying another stabilizer” is actually a great luxury for them.
Overheating, accelerated wear, and a reduction in service life are sure to await equipment without modernization. And this is not a theoretical danger, but a reality that already leads to breakdowns and unnecessary costs. For owners of old equipment, buying a voltage relay or stabilizer will be another “puzzle” that cannot always be solved. Specialists point out that Soviet-made equipment is already at the limit of its work, so there is nothing to worry about it, they say it will break, just replace it or install a relay. It seems that everything is simple, but imagine a grandmother who lives in the village and who has been using her old refrigerator “ZIL” for half a century. For her, this device served all these years as the embodiment of Soviet reliability, but without any technical bells and whistles. There are not even close to microprocessors that can “adapt” to voltage surges.
Now she is faced with a new task: it is already officially 230 volts in the networks, and her refrigerator was designed for 220, taking into account that the voltage was often not stable even then. As if there is a little more “pressure”, and the grandmother must either buy a voltage relay, or a stabilizer, or something else technical that is beyond her understanding or budget. Let’s be honest, because for many pensioners, the question is not whether to understand the technical details, but where to get the money for an additional device. A voltage relay or stabilizer is not just an additional wire or button, but a device that costs several hundred hryvnias. For those who live on the minimum pension, such inappropriate expenses are an unaffordable sum.
Service departments are not always ready to go to remote villages to install this equipment or to consult a person who does not understand what “overvoltage” is. There is no state program or benefit that would cover such expenses for the “socially vulnerable” sections of the population. If grandma’s refrigerator burns down due to high voltage, officially “it’s not the power grid’s fault.” Because the network works according to new standards, and the old refrigerator – according to old standards. So the grandmother is left alone with the problem.
At the same time, the statistics of the repair of Soviet equipment can also be perceived as a topic of a separate tragedy: in the conditions of modern prices, repairs are often more expensive than the purchase of a new appliance, but a new refrigerator with a warranty also remains unaffordable for many.
As for cities with modern infrastructure, here renewal, although a challenge, is quite real. But in the villages, where the wires have been running since Soviet times, and the technical conditions correspond more to a museum than to modern times, this situation is perceived many times more difficult. It will not work to simply “twist” the voltage there. A comprehensive approach is needed: replacement of networks, transformers, protection systems. Until this is done, any attempt to raise the standard looks like a game of technical and safety roulette.
However, the biggest problem lies in the fact that many simply do not know or do not understand these changes. From the grandmother, who is afraid that her refrigerator will “burn”, to the head of the village school, who has no idea how to avoid accidents without modernizing the electrical networks. A large-scale information campaign is necessary, which would explain what is changing and how, what are the risks and how to minimize them. It is necessary to train the personnel of energy companies, installers, electricians, because the safety of millions of users depends on their competence. Many houses have old switchboards, no stabilizers, poorly laid internal networks. The new standard, against the background of weak infrastructure, can lead to local overheating, jumps, and triggering of automatic machines.
However, all these problems are not caused by the standard change itself. They are only actualized against its background. Postponing the transition does not change anything, but deepens the gap between technical standards and reality.
Voltage with European experience: what Ukraine can borrow, and what is better to bypass
Europe also puzzled over 230 volts. Where the process went according to plan, the result was stable. But in those countries where everything was decided “for tomorrow”, problems and failures immediately arose. For example, Great Britain traditionally kept a separate standard of 240 V. When it came time to harmonize it with the European 230 V, the British decided not to reduce the voltage physically, but to change the tolerances in the documents. Formally, 240 V became an “acceptable deviation” from 230, although everything in the socket remained the same. First class bureaucracy.
France and Germany had 220 V, but in the mid-1990s they began to modernize transformers, update networks, and conduct information campaigns. By 2003, most EU countries were de facto working on 230 V. At the same time, in France, problems were encountered in rural areas, because the worn-out lines there could not withstand the load, and hundreds of transformers had to be regularly updated.
Neighboring Poland began implementing 230 V immediately after joining the EU. On paper, everything was done quickly, which cannot be said about reality. Some provinces lived on 220 V as early as the mid-2010s. But the Polish model of the transitional period can safely serve as an example of how balanced modernization works: with step-by-step replacement of equipment, state programs for communes and active communication with consumers.
In Serbia, the transition lasted more than 10 years. It was often accompanied by conflicts between old network operators and new regulatory norms. The private sector massively distrusted the innovations and refused to modernize shields or buy protective equipment. Where modernization was carried out only “from above”, opposition and chaos prevailed. Where they worked locally with communities, the transition was smooth.
Moldova, like Ukraine, is only now implementing new regulations. Transformers are already being reconfigured in many regions, but infrastructure, especially in villages, remains weak. In Georgia, the new standard has not yet been fully implemented due to a lack of investment in rural networks. All this demonstrates a typical picture for the post-Soviet space: standards change faster than wires. Ukraine has a chance to do better. Do not repeat other people’s mistakes, but use other people’s experience. Especially now, when European technical rules should be perceived not just as a reference point, but as a requirement for integration.
Changing the voltage standard is not a technical revolution, but it certainly acts as a litmus test, demonstrating how outdated our energy infrastructure has become, how many household appliances do not meet modern conditions, and how weak is the connection between government decisions and the needs of ordinary people. At first glance, everything looks logical: Ukraine adapts its technical standards to European ones, synchronizes with the EU energy system, takes a step towards integration. But behind this official logic lies the main question, whether the country is really ready for this step not only on paper, but also in everyday life.
While the cities are already testing the increased voltage, the residents of the villages turn on the old Soviet devices and hope that the equipment will withstand. In offices, officials are discussing “technical harmonization”, and in electricity districts they are trying to maintain lines that are several decades old. This situation again shows a familiar scenario: standards are updated, but the responsibility for the consequences is shifted to ordinary people.
So the new standard is not only about electricity, it is a test of whether the technical transformation will be supported by financial, informational and human support. Instead of another transfer of responsibility, we need an understanding that the changes should work for everyone, not just for the capital or the presentations. Of course, the potential in such a transition is there and it is obvious, but it is not realized automatically. If the state does not explain, does not help, does not provide, then tension increases not only in networks, but also in society. And then the difference in volts turns into another voltage point that cannot be solved with a screwdriver.
