If you have a debt, it is better to pay it off as soon as possible, rather than wait for notification of a gas supply cutoff.
As a countermeasure against the worst defaulters, the company has introduced the practice of terminating gas supply contracts in court. In the period from January to September 2013 alone, the Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa company was forced to make more than 6.6 thousand disconnections of unscrupulous debtor subscribers.
We are actively working to collect debts from the population: notifications are sent to debtor subscribers reminding them to pay the debt, but even after such reminders, some debtors ignore our warnings, forcing us to disconnect from the gas supply system,” says Head of the Public Relations Department of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa LLC Ruslan Zaripov.- If subscribers do not pay their debts even after disconnection, then we have to go to court to collect the debt.
One of the latest examples is when a debtor has accumulated a significant debt for gas. It was decided to cut off the supply of “blue fuel” to residents of a private house. Since unscrupulous residents flatly refused to allow employees to carry out their work, they had to call an excavator and carry out the work from outside. By the way, calling out special equipment is not a cheap pleasure; one such disconnection costs a tidy sum - at least 50 thousand rubles, and the same amount afterwards for connection. Moreover, these costs subsequently fall on the shoulders of the debtor subscriber, through whose fault it is necessary to take such extreme measures.
We do not set ourselves the task of disconnecting subscribers from services at any cost,” explains Ruslan Ramazanovich. - On the contrary, we are interested in supplying fuel to customers in the required volume. Therefore, first our specialists send warnings to the defaulter, try to talk with the person and understand why he does not pay for the services. There are different situations in life, for example, a difficult financial situation, the loss of a breadwinner, etc. And we are ready to meet our clients halfway! If necessary, we provide installment payments, however, subject to timely current payments. But, unfortunately, some clients ignore all our efforts and often simply do not get in touch.
One of these “silent people” did not pay for gas for a long time; his debt to gas workers has already exceeded 150 thousand rubles. In addition, for several years he did not allow specialists into the apartment to check the technical condition of gas equipment, which in itself poses a danger to other residents of the apartment building. These violations were enough to disconnect the apartment from the gas supply system.
In short, the “principle of good faith” must apply. We provide the resource – gas, without prepayment and as much as needed, and subscribers, for their part, must keep correct records of gas consumption and pay for it on time,” says Ruslan Ramazanovich.
WHAT HOW MUCH
It's no secret that gas is not taken out of thin air, and before it reaches consumers, the fuel goes a long way - from production, transportation, processing, storage and ending directly with distribution and delivery. Gas supply activities are strictly regulated by the state, which also sets gas prices. The main provisions for the formation and regulation of gas prices on the territory of the Russian Federation were approved by a resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation. According to these provisions, the price of gas for the end consumer consists of the wholesale price of gas, fees for supply and distribution services to the gas supplier and the tariff for gas transportation. Today, the cost of gas according to the meter is 4 rubles 53 kopecks. per cubic meter. If the subscriber does not provide gas meter readings within the period established by law and does not make payment for them, charges for the consumed gas are made according to the standards. And the deadlines are as follows: until the 10th day of each month following the billing month. You can pay at the end of the current month, without waiting for these first ten days, which we recommend to all consumers.
Since no one has canceled the obligation to pay for the goods (and gas is the same product as bread in the store), it means that the debtor is a violator of the law, and the court will oblige him to pay the debt, a penalty and - attention - legal costs. There is only one conclusion - if you don’t want to overpay, pay for gas on time.
The functions of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa include ensuring gas supply to all categories of consumers and metering gas consumption. The enterprise has dispatch services, which automatically receive all the information on computers: distribution of “blue fuel” through the gas distribution network, its consumption: who consumed it and how much, whether it was paid for or not, etc.
When we see that a person is not paying extra, we send him to the check queue and send him a notification. Employees of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa are forced to conduct similar raids on apartments and houses of debtors on a regular basis. Sometimes people react inappropriately. A blatant incident occurred in Beloretsk - a woman attacked Gas-Service workers with a knife and it was only by a miracle that no one was hurt! And such incidents, alas, are not uncommon.
MISER PAYS TWICE
It should be remembered that in order to resume gas supply, in addition to 100% repayment of the debt for consumed gas, the subscriber will need to pay the cost of work by a specialized organization to disconnect and connect to the gas distribution network. In addition, the consumer with whom the gas supply contract is terminated will have to go through the entire procedure for formalizing contractual relations with the supplier and the organization that carries out maintenance of the gas supply system again. It is not difficult to conclude that paying for gas on time is not only the subscriber’s responsibility, but also much more profitable than accumulating debts!
Starting from August of this year, persistent defaulters may not be allowed to go abroad, so in order not to spoil your holiday, it is better to take care of your bills in advance.
Consumers can obtain information about their existing debt at the nearest Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa branch. By the way, soon Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa plans to launch a so-called virtual Single Window for its clients. By logging into their personal account through it, subscribers will see all the information related to gas consumption.
YOU CAN NOW RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS BY EMAIL
Recently, for the convenience of subscribers, we have already launched a useful service - you can now receive an invoice notification for consumed gas by email. To subscribe to the newsletter, just fill out an application - a sample is available on the back of the notification invoice, or contact the subscriber site of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa LLC. It is mandatory to have a passport when visiting the subscriber site. More than 3 thousand subscribers have already used the service.
ONLY NUMBERS
9 859* applications were sent by the Company's legal advisers regarding the issuance of court orders and statements of claim for the collection of debts and penalties for gas from individual subscribers issued 6 748 judicial acts on debt collection from individuals
5 064 applications were sent to the bailiff service to initiate enforcement proceedings against the debtors
34 cases of unauthorized gas withdrawal were recorded, for which a corresponding decision was made
75 debtors were prohibited from traveling outside the Russian Federation
6 607 disconnections from the gas supply system
1 300 000 subscribers-consumers of gas today at LLC Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ufa
*Data for 9 months of 2013
Household gas consumers - people who use gas for cooking, heating water or for a heating boiler - can be divided into three categories: those who have individual meters, those who have a common house meter, those who have neither the first nor the second - The consumer pays for gas according to consumption standards. Since October last year, problem situations for each of these segments have increased. The reasons are different, but the result is the same - regional gas companies and regional gas sales are trying to force consumers to pay more for gas. Consulting center experts"GazPravda" collected examples of the most common problems and gave advice on how consumers can defend their rights.
1. An incomprehensible coefficient appeared in the payment slip
There are indications of actual gas consumption, which are shown by the meter. Previously, regional gas sales companies only demanded payment for them. But recently a coefficient of reduction to standard conditions has appeared in payment cards. In simple words, the situation can be explained as follows: gas during transportation changes its volume under the influence of temperature conditions. In winter it shrinks, so the meter shows underestimated consumption. Therefore, regional gas companies decided to use correction factors. However, they did not take into account that gas losses from failure to comply with standard conditions have already been taken into account and included in the tariff that each consumer pays.
Based on this, such additional charges are illegal. This is clearly stated in the resolution of the National Commission that regulates energy and utilities (NCRECU) dated November 23, 2018. When assigning coefficients of reduction to standard conditions, regional gas companies refer to order of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry No. 116 of February 26, 2004. But it only applies to industrial consumers.
Therefore, the consumer, firstly, needs to pay only for the volume of gas actually consumed. Secondly, immediately file claims with the regional gas and regional gas sales. It is important to send claims to both companies, since the volume of gas consumed for payment is calculated by the regional gas supplier, and the invoice is issued by gas sales. In parallel with this, you need to send a complaint to NEKREKU, where you indicate that the gas workers do not adhere to the licensing conditions and provide low-quality services to the consumer (in accordance with Article 21 of the Law of Ukraine “On NEKREKU”). If gas companies refuse to satisfy the claim, do not recalculate and continue to assign correction factors, then the consumer needs to sue their actions.
Recommended payment – not required payment. The concept of recommended payment is not found in any regulatory document. This is an initiative of gas companies. You only need to pay for the amount of gas actually consumed for the previous month.
3. Gas payment did not arrive
If your gas payment hasn't arrived, it doesn't mean you don't have to pay. Otherwise, a debt will arise and a penalty will be charged. This is especially important to understand for subsidies, since if they accumulate debt, they may lose financial assistance from the state in the future. In this situation, you need to calculate your consumption yourself and pay according to the details from the receipt for the previous month. If the receipt has not been saved, then check the details at the Ukrposhta branch or bank where you pay.
4. Subsidiesno longer in payment
A consumer who is eligible for a subsidy on their gas bill used to see the amount on their gas bill. Now the subsidy is given in cash, and accordingly the invoice includes the full amount payable. The consumer now needs to pay his own gas bill from money received.
5. If there are remains of a non-monetized subsidy
Some subsidies accumulated balances in their personal accounts in regional gas supply companies when, from the beginning of the heating season, they were accrued a subsidy in non-monetary form. These balances are consumers' money and the gas company must take them into account when issuing bills for February and subsequent months. In March, people must pay in cash the difference between consumption and account balances. If this does not happen, send a corresponding request to the regional gas supply with the requirement to take into account the remaining funds when calculating the payment for consumed gas.
6. Excessive gas consumption standards
Gas consumers without meters pay for the resource consumed according to the norms. Today, for those who have a gas stove and a centralized hot water supply, the consumption rate is 3.28 cubic meters. per person per month. Those who do not have a centralized supply of hot water and a gas water heater - 5.39 cubic meters, those who have a gas water heater - 10.49 cubic meters.
Government Decree No. 143 states that these standards apply from August 9, 2018. There is a high probability that this resolution will soon be challenged in court by regional gas companies. But until this happens, the minimum current standard is 3.28 cubic meters.
In addition, any additional charges based on consumption standards “retroactively” for previous months are illegal. If the payment for gas is calculated on the basis of higher standards, the consumer himself has the right to designate and pay for the volume that he considers reasonable. If payment was made at inflated rates, a recalculation must be carried out. To do this, you need to write a corresponding application to the regional gas and regional gas sales.
7. There is a desire to install an individual meter
Each gas consumer has the right to use individual meters. Moreover, payment for this device is already included in the tariff, which means the consumer does not have to pay anything for its installation. Each regional gas company has a plan to install an individual meter in each household by January 1, 2021. To find out when it’s your turn, write a request to the regional gas office. In theory, over time, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine will be able to install meters, but so far there has been no government decision to allocate funds for this, and no mechanism has been approved for how exactly the company can carry out such an installation. The consumer always has the opportunity to purchase a meter at his own expense, but one must be prepared for the fact that no one will return the money for this. The Cabinet of Ministers has not yet approved the mechanism for compensating consumers for independently purchased meters.
8. The meter was returned - it began to work incorrectly
This problem is quite common for residents of private houses, especially in rural areas. The gas service removes the meter, checks it, and installs it back. At the same time, the user begins to suspect that the meter is not working correctly, since it began to show higher gas consumption for no apparent reason.
The consumer, if there is reasonable suspicion of incorrect operation of the meter, has the right to initiate an extraordinary verification of the meter, which is carried out by a specialized metrological organization.
9. RGas consumption rates have increased sharply
It also happens that in a few months gas consumption increases 2-3 times. This problem is typical mainly for apartment buildings, where there are no individual meters - only common ones. In such a situation, you need to understand why the house began to consume more gas. To do this, you need to write a statement to the regional gas and regional gas sales with a demand to understand the reasons for the sharp increase in consumption. It is possible that unregistered gas equipment is installed in the house. Representatives of gas services are required to conduct such an inspection.
It is also worth remembering that the consumer has the right to pay only for the volume of gas that he considers to have actually been used. But you must write to the regional gas supply company about your reluctance to pay the full bill and the reasons for the refusal.
10. You pay for gas, but suddenly it’s gone
The consumer’s refusal to pay taking into account illegal coefficients for reduction to standard conditions or inflated standards may lead to his gas being cut off without warning. Residents of private houses often face this problem. Such actions by gas companies are illegal. The gas distribution network operator has the right to freely gain access to the land plot and other facilities where the gas distribution system is located to ensure its proper operation.
If we are talking about turning off gas, then gas providers are required to notify the consumer in advance about the shutdown. In addition, representatives of gas services also have the right to enter private territory after warning the owner.
If this does not happen and the gas is turned off without notice, you must contact the gas dispatch service 104 and find out the situation. The consumer also has the right to contact the police regarding illegal entry into private territory. If there is confirmation that gas services were cut off, violating the norms for carrying out such a procedure, this is a reason to write a complaint to NEREKU about the violation.
Based on materials from the consultation center "GazPravda"
This material was prepared as part of the Pro Gas partnership project, with the support of the Federal ii robot sellers of the oil and gas industry
The other day it will be exactly six months since the entry into force of the Housing Code, which was supposed to significantly change the structure of work in the housing and communal services sector. However, as it turned out, the public utilities sector has not yet converted to the new scheme. A paradoxical situation has developed in the gas supply sector, where management companies have not yet been selected, and gas supply to the population has turned out to be outside the legal framework. That is, according to lawyers, if previously residents were obliged to pay for gas, now this is not obligatory for them - in any case, no one has the authority to disconnect unscrupulous consumers under the current legislation. Experts believe that this threatens Mezhregiongaz with the loss of part of its payments.
At the end of May of this year, in accordance with the Housing Code, the Russian government issued a decree “On the procedure for providing utility services to citizens.” However, it did not take into account the proposals of Mezhregiongaz LLC to change the procedure for providing gas to the population, which resulted in a paradoxical situation.
According to the document, gas supply organizations have the right to supply gas exclusively to management companies that already sell it to the population and regulate cash receipts by installing meters. However, so far not a single management company has been selected, says Anton Sevostyanov, deputy general director of Audit - New Technologies. Thus, since the entry into force of the rules for the provision of public services to citizens, gas supply organizations have been supplying fuel to the population outside the legal framework.
“People are now not required to pay for gas services; now they are automatically sent a receipt for payment for these services, but theoretically they can ignore it,” he says senior partner of a law firm " Vegas - Lex " Albert Yeganyan. Senior partner of the Megapolis law firm Vladimir Smetanin agrees with him: “The current situation is far from the ideas that were included in the law, it needs to be adjusted.”
In theory, in case of non-payments, the management company can disconnect the subscriber from the range of utility services, but now there is no one to perform this function. “In the current situation, Mezhregiongaz may not be able to make payments for gas this year if amendments to the law are not adopted,” says Yeganyan.
This already not the best news for the company is doubly unpleasant: the sale of gas to the population is already unprofitable. Mezhregiongaz, which supplies gas throughout the country, is incurring serious losses, since payments are made not according to instrument readings, but according to standards that are significantly underestimated. In addition, payments from the budget for benefit categories of the population are delayed or not paid in full.
According to the Housing Code, all residents of multi-storey buildings must choose management companies before January 1, 2007, otherwise management companies will be appointed by the municipality without fail. Nevertheless, market participants doubt that managers will appear even by this date. “The situation is unlikely to change in the future, since it will be extremely difficult to find management companies. Thus, the relationship between residents and gas suppliers will remain outside the legal framework,” adds Vladimir Smetaniy.
According to market experts, the emergence of management companies will not completely solve the problem. Payments for gas must be made based on readings from common household appliances, which do not exist in Russia. “Several billion rubles need to be spent on this. And if the idea is implemented at the expense of supplying companies, these costs will be included in the tariffs, which will thus at least double,” predicts Sevostyanov.
In addition, management companies will have to pay 100% payments to resource supply organizations. “Given the inevitable non-payments from the population, there is a high probability that the majority of management companies will become insolvent within three months from the date of commencement of work,” one of the market participants told Business.
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At the end of August, the Gazprom Mezhregiongaz St. Petersburg company, together with specialists from regional gas distribution organizations, carried out regular raids to disconnect malicious defaulters from gas supplies. The events took place in St. Petersburg, Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions. We bring to your attention a photo report on how our specialists conduct such raids.
PETERSBURG, PRIMORSKY DISTRICT, 12.00
When employees of our company, together with specialists from PetersburgGas, arrived at the address, of course, no one was waiting for them here. The owner of the house was absent, and her son refused to open the gate to our specialists for a long time.
The subscriber's reluctance to let gas company employees in to carry out the decision to disconnect the household from gas supply led to nothing.
Despite many obstacles, the gas valve was still closed. And within a week, the entire debt was repaid, and the costs of disconnecting and connecting gas were also paid.
PETERSBURG, PETRODvortsovy district
Sometimes employees of the Gazprom Mezhregiongaz St. Petersburg company have to deal with more complex situations in their work, such as, for example, what happened in the Petrodvortsovy district of St. Petersburg.
For two years, our employees tried with all their might to get the subscriber to pay for gas, but calls, letters, claims, notices and even a summons to court remained unanswered. So on the day for which the shutdown was scheduled, no one answered the call, so it was impossible to get into the territory.
Therefore, we had to resort to a measure unprecedented in our practice and disconnect the defaulting subscriber from the gas supply without his presence, outside his household, by disconnecting the gas pipe in the ground using special equipment.
After this, the surrounding amenities were restored. And again, as in the first case, within five days the debt for gas was repaid in full. In addition, the cost of work on disconnecting and connecting gas, which is comparable to the amount of debt, was reimbursed.
Irina Yasnova, head of the subscriber department in St. Petersburg:
“Before making a decision to suspend the supply of gas to a subscriber, our specialists send several warnings to the defaulter - including claims about debt and notifications about the upcoming shutdown. They try in every possible way to contact the debtor in order to warn him about the responsibility and the seriousness of the consequences that await him if the debt is not repaid. But, unfortunately, some subscribers ignore all our efforts and often simply do not get in touch. In such cases, according to Russian law, we have the right to suspend gas supplies.”
Our reader contacted the Hotline of our newspaper with a question regarding the inability to pay for gas supply services within the time limits established by law.
Olga N.: “It turns out that my salary is actually paid later than the 10th. Because of this, I do not have time to pay utility bills on time. I am very concerned about how my gas bill will be calculated if I pay later than the 10th of each month.”
We easily found the answer to Olga’s question on the Gazprommezhregiongaz website:
Subscribers who have gas consumption meters installed make payments for the gas actually consumed monthly before the tenth day of the month following the expiration of the month, based on payment documents sent by Gazprom Mezhregiongaz to each subscriber.
2.2. The procedure for paying for gas in case of failure to provide gas meter readings.
In accordance with clause 31 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 21, 2008 No. 549 “On the procedure for supplying gas to meet the household needs of citizens,” if the subscriber did not provide the gas supplier with information about the readings of the gas meter within the period established by the contract, the volume of gas consumed for the past billing period and before the billing period in which the subscriber resumed providing the specified information, but not more than 3 months in a row, is determined based on the volume of average monthly gas consumption by the consumer, determined by the gas meter for a period of at least one year, and if the period of operation of the gas meter was less than one year - for the actual period of operation of the gas meter. After the specified 3-month period, the volume of gas consumed for each subsequent month up to the billing period in which the subscriber resumed submitting the specified information is determined in accordance with gas consumption standards.
Determination of the volume of gas consumed according to the readings of the gas meter is resumed from the day following the day of the inspection carried out by the gas supplier at the request of the subscriber.
If the determination of the volume of gas consumed according to the gas meter readings was not resumed from the beginning of the billing period, then for the elapsed days of the billing period, the volume of gas consumed is determined in accordance with gas consumption standards in proportion to the number of such days. In the specified billing period, the total volume of gas consumed is equal to the sum of the volume of gas consumed, calculated taking into account gas consumption standards, and the volume of gas consumed, as determined by the readings of the gas meter.
To avoid having to overpay, the simplest thing is to report your meter readings every month before the 10th, either by calling your gas section, or (which is much easier) directly via the Internet by going to the Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Rostov-on-Don website in the section: Information for subscribers /Submit meter readings or by clicking on the following link: https://www.rostovregiongaz.ru/abonenty/peredat-pokazaniya-schetchikov/