The Functional Orientation of the Integrated Instrumentarium of the Economic Mechanism for Increasing the Energy Efficiency of the National Economy

Abstract

The article analyzes the essence and directions of improving the energy efficiency of the national economy. It is noted that the leading role in this process is assigned to the economic mechanism, which should generally be recognized as an integrated system of means of influencing economic phenomena observed in the process of production, exchange, distribution and consumption of energy resources. It is emphasized that the most important indicator characterizing the efficiency of energy consumption at the macro-level is the energy intensity of gross domestic product (GDP), according to which Ukraine significantly lags behind many countries of the world. Therefore, one of the effective instruments to reduce the energy intensity of the State’s GDP is the use of tax incentives. The functional role of structural elements of the economic mechanism of energy efficiency is disclosed, which are manifested in the following: firstly, the leading place in the system of instruments for implementing energy-efficient policy is occupied by pricing for energy resources, which, unfortunately, is dominated by the cost methodology. Simultaneously, it is necessary to deprive enterprises of the domestic fuel and energy complex of the right to manipulate prices for their products; secondly, in order to implement the energy efficiency policy, it is necessary to form tariffs for energy resources based on the reimbursement of economically justified costs for their production, transportation and delivery to consumers; thirdly, the implementation of strategic goals for the development of energy saving requires significant investments, in particular, targeted loans to finance energy-saving technologies. The necessity of finding and developing new, more effective instruments of the economic mechanism for improving the energy efficiency of the national economy is proved.

Keywords

• integrated instrumentarium
• economic mechanism
• energy efficiency
• national economy
• pricing
• tariff policy
• preferential taxation
• targeted loans.