How мuch does it cost to get through winter, and where can you find the money for everything you need?

It's not just experts and analysts in the media who are talking about the difficult winter of 2026–2027. The subject comes up in supermarket queues, at public transport stops and around kitchen tables. And the conversation is not about how cold it will get or how much heating will cost. The coming winter is once again forcing us to think about what will happen if attacks cause prolonged disruptions to electricity, water or heating supplies.

Ukrainians are responding in different ways. For some, preparing means buying a few power banks and storing water. For others, it means investing in a portable power station, finding a house in the countryside or even installing their own solar power system. These decisions depend not only on people's level of concern, expectations of rising prices or ability to plan, but also on what each Ukrainian can afford.

So how much will it cost to maintain at least a basic level of independence from public utilities this winter? Let's work it out together.

Someone living in a city apartment can only be partially self-sufficient. Central heating, water supply and sewerage may seem like three separate systems, but in practice they are interconnected. A power outage can stop equipment responsible for supplying water or operating heating infrastructure. And serious damage to energy or heat-generation facilities can leave large numbers of people without essential utilities at the same time.

The vulnerability of centralised infrastructure becomes particularly apparent in winter. Kyiv has already experienced widespread heating disruptions during attacks on energy infrastructure, while the district heating system itself makes cities dependent on large facilities and distribution networks.

A recent Gradus survey, conducted in early September 2026 among 1,000 residents of Ukrainian cities with populations exceeding 50,000, clearly illustrates the scale of this dependence. Some 42% live in homes connected to municipal utility networks and have no equipment for independent heating or electricity supply, or sufficient water reserves. Around another third have some backup resources but remain dependent on urban infrastructure. Only approximately one in ten considers their household fully self-sufficient.

For someone living in an apartment building, preparing for winter therefore primarily means creating a small personal reserve for periods when essential city services are temporarily unavailable. And the costs can vary considerably.

Basic Backup Supplies

You can start preparing with items that do not cost tens of thousands of hryvnias. A power bank allows you to stay connected and charge your phone, torch or other small devices. However, it is not enough if someone in your household works remotely or a schoolchild needs to attend online lessons.

The next step is a portable power station. As of September 2026, compact EcoFlow models could be found for approximately UAH 11,000–18,000, while devices with greater capacity and output cost UAH 30,000–50,000 or more. High-powered models can exceed UAH 100,000.

But the price of a power station alone tells you very little. If all you need is to stay connected during short power cuts, a small backup may be sufficient. If your household includes a schoolchild attending online classes or someone working from home, the requirements change immediately. A laptop, router, lighting and monitor all require a significantly larger battery capacity.

The important thing is not to buy the most expensive model "just in case". First, calculate the power consumption of your devices and how many hours of backup power your family actually needs.

People tend to think about water less often than electricity, although losing access to water can quickly turn everyday life into a serious challenge. For apartment residents, storing water is one of the cheapest ways to prepare, but it requires space and discipline. Supplies stored "somewhere in a cupboard" quickly stop being useful if nobody checks or replenishes them.

An Alternative Place to Stay

Sometimes the most expensive part of winter preparation is not equipment but relocation.

According to Gradus, 40% of respondents would consider a "Plan B" involving relocation if living conditions or safety in their area deteriorated significantly. Among those who would consider moving, almost half would prefer temporary relocation within Ukraine, while around one in five would consider going abroad. Safety remains the main factor behind such decisions.

Relocation might mean staying with relatives or friends in a private house, or renting or purchasing one yourself.

In that case, the question becomes whether the house is suitable for winter living. What about heating, water supply and, especially, internet access? Is there a shop, pharmacy or medical care nearby?

And that assumes the adults in the family can work remotely and the children can attend school online. Otherwise, you also need to consider whether a school is available near your temporary accommodation.

As for expenses, staying with relatives may involve relatively modest additional costs. Renting accommodation in another region, however, adds rent, utilities, moving costs and other everyday expenses to the family budget.

If the entire family relocates, work and education must also be considered. Not every job allows remote working. Not every school can provide полноценное online education. Reliable internet is not available everywhere. And if a child attends school in person, the distance to school and available transport become important. As a result, relocation can be considerably more expensive than it initially appears.

Of course, moving somewhere for a few days is relatively easy. Living there for several months is an entirely different matter.

Firewood as Part of the Family Budget

Having a house in the countryside does not automatically mean your family is ready for winter.

Living independently of centralised utilities comes with its own running costs. Instead of a heating bill, you may need to pay for a delivery of firewood, stove repairs and fuel reserves.

The amount of firewood required depends on the size of the house, insulation, indoor temperature, type of stove or boiler and the wood itself.

For a house of around 100 m², you might need several cubic metres or more. However, there is no universal standard, as actual consumption can vary significantly depending on the circumstances.

Prices also differ considerably depending on the type of wood, region, moisture content, preparation and delivery.

According to available 2026 prices, hardwood can cost approximately UAH 1,800–2,600 per cubic metre, while split firewood and delivery may cost even more.

So saying "we have a house in the countryside" does not mean your family has a complete winter survival plan.

You need dry firewood, a working stove or boiler, a chimney in good condition, water, lighting, communication and at least a small emergency repair fund.

After all, a broken heating system component in winter is not just an inconvenience. It is an urgent expense.

Owners of private houses have another option for preparing for winter: installing their own solar power system with battery storage.

This is considerably more expensive than buying a portable power station and represents a serious investment in the property.

The system consists of more than just solar panels. To operate during power outages, it also requires a hybrid inverter and battery storage.

That is why the total cost can run into hundreds of thousands of hryvnias.

For example, current offers for 5 kW hybrid solar systems with energy storage range from approximately UAH 240,000 to UAH 340,000. Systems rated at 10 kW start at around UAH 245,000, depending on their configuration.

If your house is small and electricity is mainly needed for a refrigerator, lighting, internet, water pump and basic household appliances, there is little reason to invest immediately in an extremely powerful system.

However, if your home uses electric heating, a heat pump, a water heater or has several workstations, its power and battery capacity requirements will be entirely different. The budget will increase accordingly.

In other words, a solar power system is not simply a way to "get through this winter".

It is a long-term investment that requires careful calculations: how much electricity the house consumes, which appliances must continue operating during outages and how much the family is prepared to invest now.

You may not always have enough money to buy a portable power station, repair your heating system and prepare your home for winter all at once.

In such situations, some of the expenses can be financed with borrowed funds. The important thing is to assess the monthly repayments in advance and make sure you can afford them.

Different situations call for different solutions.

With the SMART Credit Card, you can conveniently buy a heater, power bank and other winter essentials without spending the entire amount from your own budget at once.

A Cash Loan may be suitable when you need money for a variety of purposes, whether that means carrying out essential repairs, buying heating equipment, replacing your car tyres or covering several major seasonal expenses at once.

If you have an officially documented income, you can consider a White Loan for a significant one-off expense.

For example, this type of loan could help finance replacing windows or doors, improving insulation, buying a generator or purchasing other expensive equipment.

It may be appropriate when the costs are substantial and there is little point in splitting them into dozens of smaller purchases.

But remember: a loan is not extra money. It is a financial obligation that you will have to repay.

Before applying, calculate not only the cost of your planned purchases or repairs but also how much your household budget can safely allocate to monthly repayments.

Ukrainians have already experienced several winters during the war.

We have learnt to charge our phones whenever possible, keep water supplies at home, check power outage schedules, work from cafés and resilience centres, cook without electricity and keep warm by wearing several layers of clothing.

But adapting to these conditions does not mean people can live indefinitely without basic necessities.

For most people, the greatest difficulties arise when several problems occur simultaneously: when infrastructure disruptions are compounded by challenges involving healthcare, education, transport or personal safety.

The most important thing is not to rely on a single scenario, but to have alternatives if your Plan A suddenly stops working.

Translation into English was created with the help of artificial intelligence.