Kiev believes reducing electricity consumption in Ukraine by 20% will help stabilize situation

MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax) - A voluntary reduction of electricity consumption in Ukraine by at least 20% will help stabilize the operations of the country's power grid, Ukrainian media said with reference to the Energy Ministry's press service, which, in turn, cited Energy Minister German Galushchenko's remarks made during the national telethon on Thursday.

In particular, the reduction of electricity consumption during the day and especially in peak hours will help stabilize the operations of the power system, Galushchenko said, adding that electricity must be saved by consumers throughout Ukraine, regardless of the region.

The voluntary reduction of consumption will make it possible to avoid forced outages, which may also be used to decrease the load on the power grid and to allow energy companies to repair damaged equipment, he said.