Mykolaiv Oblast ranks among the top three regions in terms of utility bill debt

In the first six months of 2026, 108,561 new enforcement proceedings were initiated in Ukraine due to arrears in housing and utility payments. The highest number of such cases was recorded in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv regions.

This is evidenced by data from the Unified Register of Debtors, which was analyzed by the OpenDataBot service.

In the Mykolaiv region, 12,841 enforcement proceedings were initiated in half a year, accounting for about 12% of all new cases in Ukraine. More new debtors were recorded only in the Kharkiv region—22,171 proceedings—and the Dnipropetrovsk region—19,636.

As of early July, the Unified Register of Debtors contained a total of 829,768 cases related to utility debts. Of these, 62% have been closed; however, this does not mean that the debt has been paid off. Enforcement proceedings may be closed due to the inability to collect funds or for other reasons, so records of the debts remain in the registry.

In 2026 alone, 70,206 new cases—or 65% of all cases opened in the first half of the year—remain open and unpaid.

Most often, Ukrainians accumulate debts for heating—these account for 43% of new cases. Another 18% relate to water supply, 12% to housing services, 11% to gas supply, and 9% to electricity.

People aged 46–60 make up the largest share of new debtors —35% of all new enforcement proceedings. Another quarter consists of people over 60, and 24% are Ukrainians aged 36–45.

According to analysts, some enforcement proceedings regarding utility debts have remained open for more than nine years. The oldest of these relate to arrears for heating and water supply.

Earlier, the Mykolaiv municipalutility “Mykolaivvodokanal” announced a tender to procure the services of a debt collection agency to work with debtors for water supply and wastewater services.

Андрій Колісніченко