The overdue debt of Russian consumers for gas in 2019 was reduced by 5.3 billion rubles.

Legislation

1. Civil Code No. 51-FZ of November 30, 1994 names the general grounds for concluding contracts, fulfilling obligations, and measures applied to debtors.
2. Government Decree (hereinafter referred to as PP) No. 549 of July 21, 2008 establishes the rules for the supply of gas for domestic consumption. Contains the procedure for turning off the gas supply.
3. PP No. 410 dated May 14, 2013 stipulates the conditions for the safe use of gas equipment in apartment buildings, lists the measures to be taken against defaulters by turning off gas in apartments and their subsequent connection.
4. PP No. 354 dated 05/06/2011 determines the procedure for the provision of utility services. Chapter 11 talks about the right of utility companies to limit or stop providing services to debtors.
5. PP No. 1245 dated November 25, 2016 allows limiting the supply of fuel in case of violation of the terms of the contract.
6. Order No. 92 of Gosstroy dated April 21, 2000 approves methodological recommendations for the use of heating systems in everyday life. Gas is a coolant.

Illegal actions of the supplier

There are often situations where gas supply is interrupted in violation of the rules.

Attention! Such cases most often include a gas supply shutdown when:

• the client has not paid the receipt, but he has no debt;
• carrying out maintenance work in a residential building that required stopping the gas supply, although the connection was not restored;
• as a result of the inspection, it was determined that the gas equipment installed at the client’s premises does not comply with the standards, although the client wishes to dispute this fact;
• the period required to eliminate the emergency situation has passed, and the supplier has not resumed gas supply because maintenance work has not been carried out or completed;
• the gas was turned off in an apartment building due to the debt of one property owner;
• access to the gas meter is not provided due to obstacles or absence of the homeowner;
• The homeowner twice refused to have the equipment inspected.

Legal and not so legal shutdown of gas for debts

The rules and conditions for disconnecting the gas supply to debtors are regulated by the PP. Different reasons:

• in case of non-payment of the supplier's services in full or in part for two months in a row;
• if meter readings are not transmitted;
• if the owner of the property does not open the door more than 2 times to the employees of the service company conducting a routine inspection of the equipment;
• use of devices that are not included in the contract and do not meet safety requirements;
• expiration of the service contract for gas appliances;
• expiration of the service life of meters, columns, plates.

It is prohibited to turn off gas to debtors when:

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• there is no other way to prepare food, for example the house is not connected to the electrical network;
• in cold weather, if the house is heated with natural fuel.

Important: gas can be turned off at any time if the debt exceeds 2 months.

What should be the amount and term of the debt?

The government decided that it is possible to disconnect a debtor from gas if he does not pay his bills for more than 2 months in a row. The same applies to situations where payment for services occurs in installments. The amount doesn't matter.

Before applying the measure, the service organization is required to suspend the supply of resources, for example, by specifying the hours when the service will be provided. During this time, the defaulter is obliged to eliminate the debt. If a person ignores the warnings, they are completely disconnected from the gas supply.

An exception to this rule is possible when there is no technical way to stop the fuel supply. Then the gas is turned off immediately.

Can they close it in winter?

Utilities can shut off the gas supply during the heating season, provided that the house or apartment is heated in a way not related to natural fuel, that is, a stove, central water heating, or other types are installed.

In other cases, stopping the supply of a resource is permitted. There are no exceptions here. Living in the debtor's apartment for disabled people, elderly people, or children will not be grounds to cancel the decision of the resource provider.

Whether or not to stop supplying fuel to homes is decided by the service organization. This is a right, not an obligation. Often the issue is resolved individually.

Can they give me an installment plan?

Utilities warn debtors of their intention to stop gas supplies. Time is given to resolve the issue peacefully. To do this, you need to come to the management company, the service organization with which the contract has been concluded, and sign an agreement to pay the debt in installments.

There are different options for resolving the situation. The agreement will have to be strictly observed. Violation of the conditions will give the utility companies a reason to take enforcement action.

Important : gas heating is prohibited from being turned off in winter.

State duty when filing a claim in court

A claim that has a material expression is subject to consideration after payment of the state fee.

Attention! State duty calculator.

Its size depends on the value of the claim:

• up to 20,000 rubles – 400 rubles or 4% of the claim price,
• 20,000 – 100,000 rubles – 3% of the claim price plus 800 rubles,
• 100,000 – 200,000 rubles – 2% of the claim price plus 3,200 rubles,
• 200,000 – 1,000,000 rubles – 1% of the claim price plus 5,200 rubles,
• more than 1,000,000 rubles – 0.5% of the claim price plus 13,200 rubles.

There is no need to pay a state fee for a claim for compensation for moral damage.

Notification

Management companies can influence debtors in different ways: they send notices, suspend services, and collect debts through the court.
If the service organization decides to turn off the gas supply, it is obliged to inform the defaulter. Used:

• notification letter;
• utility bills. An entry is made in the payment document indicating the amount;
• SMS messages, emails, information messages through your personal account on the housing and communal services portal.

Deadlines

Notice periods vary depending on the situation:

1. 20 days before the proposed event in the following cases:

• the person does not fulfill the terms of the contract;
• does not allow inspectors into the apartment;
• uses faulty, untested equipment;
• does not pay receipts for 2 months in a row;
• did not enter into a service agreement (PP No. 549, clause 46). The violation is associated only with the use of natural fuels.

1. The violator is given 20 days to repay the debt, after which restrictions are introduced. If a person has not taken measures to resolve the conflict, 10 days after the restriction, the gas is completely turned off (Government Decree No. 354, paragraph a, paragraph 119). The rules apply to all types of utilities that are disconnected for debts.
2. When an apartment owner violates security requirements, does not allow inspectors in, does not enter into an equipment maintenance agreement, or uses devices that have not passed inspection, utility companies are required to send two notifications. One - 40 days before the planned shutdown. If no action is taken, the second one is sent 20 days before the planned events (Government Decree No. 410, paragraphs 80, 86). In this case, it does not matter whether the debt exists. Violation of the above safety requirements is sufficient.
3. There is another deadline - 3 days before the fuel supply is cut off. It is provided for by government decree No. 1245 in paragraph 13.

In practice, the debtor is given 2 warnings: 20 days before the gas supply is turned off and 3 days before it.

Is it legal to disconnect for debts without warning?

The government's answer to this question is clear: notification is mandatory. If there was no warning, the gas should not be turned off.

Important: before disconnecting, gas workers are required to send a notice to the defaulter.

The overdue debt of Russian consumers for gas in 2019 was reduced by 5.3 billion rubles.

Release

20 February 2021, 15:50

IR releasesBoard

The Management Board of PJSC Gazprom reviewed information on strengthening payment discipline for gas supplies on the domestic market and measures taken to repay debts for gas supplied, including interaction with authorities in order to improve the current legislation regarding its payment.

It was noted that the company is systematically working to strengthen the payment discipline of consumers in the domestic market. Activities in this direction are supervised by a specially created Commission under the Board of Directors.

The measures taken made it possible to achieve a significant result: for the first time in many years, the overdue debt of consumers for gas supplied was reduced. As of January 1, 2021, it amounted to 174.9 billion rubles, which is 2.9% or 5.3 billion rubles. less than a year earlier (RUB 180.2 billion). The number of Russian regions in which consumers reduced their overdue debt increased from 30 to 34 in 2019. First of all, these are the Krasnodar Territory, Kemerovo, Kurgan, Moscow and Novgorod regions. In addition, the payment discipline of consumers has been improved in the republics of the North Caucasian Federal District - Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia.

The level of payments for gas supplied to all categories of consumers in the Russian Federation in 2021 increased by 0.2 percentage points. - up to 98%.

From the point of view of consumer categories, the largest reduction was noted among heat supply organizations (TSO). In 35 regions, TSO debt was reduced by a total of 7.3 billion rubles. Half of the reduction was achieved in six regions: Moscow, Yaroslavl, Novgorod and Kemerovo regions, Krasnodar and Khabarovsk territories.

Overdue debt of the population in 2021 was reduced by more than 2 billion rubles. — up to 75 billion rubles, the level of population settlements amounted to 90.5%. Moreover, more than 88% of the population's debt falls on the republics of the North Caucasus. Gazprom stepped up systematic work there to inventory and update subscriber bases: in 2019, 1.5 million subscriber checks were carried out, and unaccounted for 4 million square meters were identified. m of heated area, 38 thousand units of gas equipment and 84 thousand consumers, 167 million cubic meters were presented for payment. m of gas, which is 70% more than in 2021.

In order to increase the level of collection of gas payments from the population and create comfortable conditions for consumers when making payments, in 2021 Gazprom intensified efforts to introduce modern smart metering devices and remote forms of payment for gas through the Internet service “Subscriber’s Personal Account”, number of users which in 2021 grew by 37% - to 3.4 million people, and payment collection - by 57%, to about 5 billion rubles.

Gazprom continues to actively pursue claims to collect debts and is intensifying interaction with regional authorities and law enforcement agencies. As part of these activities, 172.47 billion rubles were returned to the company in 2021. (in 2018 - 166.4 billion rubles).

However, the amount of overdue debt remains very high. To consolidate the positive dynamics, Gazprom is participating in the preparation of proposals to improve legislation in the field of gas supplies. In particular, in 2021, enforcement of changes to the Housing and Criminal Codes adopted at the initiative of PJSC Gazprom began, which also had a positive impact on strengthening the payment discipline of consumers. Amendments have been made to the Federal Law “On Gas Supply”, which consolidate the powers of the Russian Government or an authority authorized by it to approve the methodology for calculating damage resulting from the theft of gas from gas supply systems.

Gazprom continues to work aimed at improving legislation. Currently, 148 initiatives are being developed to improve the efficiency of work in the domestic gas market, including in terms of strengthening payment discipline.

The company's board has been instructed to continue working to strengthen consumer payment discipline and reduce overdue debt.

The issue “On strengthening payment discipline for natural gas supplies on the domestic market and measures taken to repay debts for supplied gas, including interaction with authorities in order to improve the current legislation regarding payment for gas” will be submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration.

Information Department of PJSC Gazprom

Latest news on the topic

Disconnection procedure

The shutdown procedure depends on the location of the apartment or house in which it will occur. If there is access to the debtor's premises, the gas equipment is sealed. Devices are installed that do not allow you to turn on the gas yourself.

When the owner does not allow utility workers into the apartment, house, gas supply will be stopped by disconnecting part of the pipe leading to the defaulter’s premises.

The procedure is formalized by an act, one copy of which is given to the debtor.

In an apartment building

Gas workers put plugs on part of the pipeline leading to the offender’s apartment. It is possible to seal the gas valve in the room.

In a private house

The procedure for limiting fuel consumption does not differ from actions in an apartment. If there are two owners in a private house and it is possible to separate the pipelines, a defaulter plug is installed. It is allowed to block the tap supplying gas to the water heater, stove, or heating system.

In dorm

Disabling a debtor in a dormitory is only possible if gas is supplied to his room. Shared kitchen restrictions are not permitted. Residents pay for resources according to standards. The amount of fuel consumed is divided among all living people.

Only specialists can connect and disconnect the gas supply.

Instructions for owners of private houses

There are many reasons for turning off gas in private houses, mostly located in villages, country and cottage communities. The most common are the reconstruction of a house or its transfer from a place of permanent residence to a dacha, which residents visit seasonally.

Let's look at how to legally refuse gas in a private home. When refusing, you should still be guided by the same Gas Supply Rules, clause 51. You must prove that there are no payment debts and disconnect the in-house equipment at your own expense.

You need to start the same way - by writing an application to the gas distribution organization that supplies fuel and maintains networks. Only specialists have the right to insert or dismantle equipment.

Remember that all work on connecting/disconnecting fuel is carried out at the expense of the home owner. If you want to perform such procedures often, you will have to fork out some money. Prices vary across the country, so it is better to contact the regional Gazprom office to clarify the cost of events.

The cutting location is most often chosen after the meter. Cut the pipe, weld a hole or install a plug - if you plan to connect again in the future

When connecting the house to the gas main, all work was also carried out at the expense of the owner, so any equipment - above-ground or underground branch of the gas pipeline, pipe outlet, wiring - will be left in place.

What to do if disabled

You need to contact the company with which the contract for gas supply has been concluded.
The resulting debt must be repaid. This can be done in parts throughout the year or all at once. The gas service worker will suggest options for solving the problem.

If you discover that a resource is missing, you can call RSO, the management company. Workers will give reasons for the shutdown.

If you have a debt that is difficult to pay right away, you will have to negotiate. You can write a statement to the gas workers about your readiness to eliminate the violation, indicating the time it will take.

Utilities may offer to enter into an agreement on gradual payment of debt.

Where to contact if the service is suspended

If the gas is turned off, you must contact one of the following services to find out the reasons:

• Gas company emergency channel (04). The operator will notify you of the reasons for stopping the supply of the utility service and tell you when it will be restored.
• Management Company. Specialists should be aware of whether emergency work is being carried out. They also have information about existing debt.
• Service Provider. As a last resort, you can contact the direct supplier. Contact details are usually provided on the payment receipt.

If you believe that the resource was disabled illegally and the rights of consumers were violated, then you need to contact the city municipality with a statement. The document states the requirement to conduct an examination.

Statement of claim

You can appeal the actions of gas workers in court only if they have violated the law. Resources consumed must be paid in full. Claims regarding the quality of services must be resolved in court. Refusal to pay for low-quality fuel must be formalized correctly. In other cases, the court will side with the supplying organization.

It is also considered an illegal action of the supplier to demand payment of the amount on the receipt, while the user does not actually have a debt.

What to write

There are two ways to go to court:

• in an administrative manner to appeal the actions of gas workers;
• in civil proceedings to recover damages.

In both cases, a statement of claim is written. The difference lies in the requirements.

Claims must include the name of the court to which the appeal should be made. Magistrate judges consider complaints if the value of the claim is less than 50,000 rubles. Be sure to include information about the plaintiff and defendant. Applications to unidentified persons will not be accepted.

The text of the statement of claim describes the situation. You need to start with the date and time of the event. Report disagreement with the actions of public utilities. There must be confirmation of the applicant's opinion. For example: no notification was sent, the debt arose due to technical reasons, the person was not in the city.

The request must be detailed and correspond to the text of the appeal. Administratively, you should ask for the elimination of violations by gas workers. In civil cases - about collecting from them a penalty, damage caused by their actions.

Terms of consideration

The deadlines depend on the type of claim. Civil cases are accepted by the judge for proceedings within 7 days, and the first hearing is scheduled. The consideration ends after studying the evidence and establishing the validity of the plaintiff’s claims.

The judge has 2 months to make an administrative decision.

State resource

When considering the option of checking gas debt using a government services website, you should keep in mind that a registered account gives access not only to information about gas payments, but also about other utilities, taxation and arrears. At the same time, using the resource is very simple. After logging into your personal account, you need to find the tab with housing and communal services payments in the payments menu, fill in the details in the fields that appear and familiarize yourself with the data.

Users also have the opportunity to pay off debts by first reviewing the saved payment history to make sure that all deposits were successful.

Amounts that are indicated as overdue on the government services portal are always true and displayed correctly. A similar scheme of actions allows you to find out the full amount of debt through the website of a single settlement center. After registering and filling out the fields of the electronic form with information about the user, the same information will be provided. At the same time, the user of government resources does not bear any additional obligations, and the stored data is protected.

Connecting after disconnecting

The service is activated after the debt has been repaid in full. The supplier will need to bring supporting documents or a letter of guarantee. Installment agreements are permitted. It will also be necessary to pay in full for the work to disconnect and connect the gas supply.

How long will it take for them to connect back?

PP No. 549 stipulates a five-day period for restoring gas supply. Only working days are taken into account. Connection of other services is carried out faster - in 2 days.

Deadlines are provided for situations where the debt is paid in full or an agreement on gradual payments is signed.

Price

How much it will cost to restore the fuel supply depends on the region. You can see the exact amount on the Internet, on the website of the supplier or supplying organization.

The cost depends on the cost of performing work to disconnect and connect the supply. Installation and connection of in-house devices is paid separately.

Can they cut off without warning?

In accordance with Government Decree No. 549 of July 21, 2008, planned gas shutdowns are carried out with mandatory written notification to all network users. The legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide otherwise.

Important! The regulatory document states that the company must notify of its intention to cut off gas supplies twenty-one days before the expected moment of shutdown. The notice specifies the reasons for the shutdown and the period during which the client will not be able to use blue fuel.

However, if a user is disconnected from the backbone network due to non-payment for services provided, the company is obliged to send two written notifications every twenty days. The first notice states that there is a debt and the need to repay it.

The second notifies the user of the company’s intention to carry out work to disconnect it from the main network.

After the client receives two notifications, which is confirmed by postal notification or user signature, within three days the company has the right to stop supplying services until the consumer pays the debt in full.