Are Ukrainians preparing for a hard winter? Demand for backup power equipment rises

It is still too early to speak of widespread or panic-driven preparations for winter among Ukrainians. Overall sales trends remain stable, with increases in demand largely limited to specific categories, according to analytics from the Epicentr retail chain.

Some growth has been recorded in basic food categories, including cereals, flour, cooking oil and canned goods.

Demand has also increased for energy independence products. From Aug. 3-9 alone, power bank sales rose 44%, while portable power station sales increased 28% from the previous week.

Among power banks, models with capacities of 20,000-30,000 mAh remain the most popular, accounting for nearly half of sales. At the same time, the share of the highest-capacity models increased by only 1.3 percentage points over the past year. Epicentr analysts said this suggests that mobility and power output, rather than capacity alone, are becoming key factors when consumers choose power banks, particularly the ability to charge laptops and support fast charging.

The shift toward more powerful products is more pronounced in the portable power station segment. In 2025, models with output of up to 1,000 watts accounted for 37% of sales, but their share fell to 26% in 2026. Meanwhile, the share of stations with output ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 watts increased by nearly 13%. Models with capacities exceeding 2,000 watt-hours remain the top sellers by capacity.

Uninterruptible power supplies, or UPS systems, have recorded particularly strong sales growth, up 263% from 2025. Models with output of 1-1.5 kilowatts are in the highest demand. The main driver of growth is their affordability compared with systems based on hybrid inverters and batteries. UPS systems in this segment offer a more affordable option for consumers seeking basic backup power without significant upfront costs.

Backup power systems based on hybrid inverters and batteries with output of 5 kilowatts or more have recorded a 120% increase in sales from last year. Due to the high cost of the equipment, Epicentr has not seen a sharp increase in demand among retail customers. Retail sales of such systems rise most significantly during prolonged power outages and blackouts.

However, sales of inverters and batteries in the business-to-business segment have shown steady growth. Demand is primarily driven by small and medium-sized businesses investing in their own energy independence.

There is currently no shortage of backup power products, and prices remain stable compared with last year, Epicentr said.

“So far, we are not seeing a rush that could be described as widespread preparations for winter. The energy independence category traditionally reacts more sharply during periods of major power supply disruptions. Demand for backup power products remains consistently high and is growing year over year, which is more indicative of Ukrainians gradually adapting to wartime conditions and regular power outages. At the same time, consumers have gained considerable practical experience using such solutions over the past few seasons. This is already reflected in their equipment choices: Buyers are gradually shifting toward more powerful models and selecting specifications that more closely match their needs,” said Dmytro Tanko, Epicentr’s retail director.

Customers are primarily addressing their current backup power needs, although they are also taking the coming winter into account when choosing equipment, the retailer said.

Earlier reports said that as of early August, Kyiv had built about 60 megawatts of cogeneration capacity out of the 200 megawatts planned as part of a broader package of measures to be completed by the end of 2026.