When is it possible to connect after disconnecting?
Clause 45 of Government Resolution No. 549 (as amended in May 2014) on the procedure for gas supply determines the right of a gas supply organization to cut off the supply of a utility resource for non-payment unilaterally, notifying it of the upcoming event 20 days before the sanction. Read about the procedure and rules for turning off gas in a private home for non-payment here.
If the opportunity to pay debts was missed and the gas has already been turned off, you will have to go through the difficult (and expensive) path of reconnection ; just paying off the debt amount will no longer be enough.
- Debts are invoiced at the rates of the period in which the debt arose; the rate for penalties depends on the region.
If you contact us in person, you can agree to reconnect until the debt is repaid in full. In this case, an individual payment schedule is drawn up, including payment of fines. The personal presence of the debtor is desirable, but not necessary: familiarization with the terms of payments in the latter case will occur when signing the agreement. - In addition to the amount of debt, you will have to pay for technical work to disconnect from the gas transmission network.
- For a new gas connection, you will also have to pay for the corresponding work to restore the gas supply and remove seals from devices.
After all amounts have been paid or contracts have been signed regulating the payment procedure, you can count on connecting the gas again.
Reconnection algorithm
When connecting blue fuel, the applicant can be the owner of the residential premises. Therefore, only he can contact the supplier.
If housing is provided under a social rental agreement, an application can be submitted by a temporary resident who has entered into this agreement.
Step No. 1 – repaying the debt to the supplier
The first step is to pay off the debt to the gas supply company. It is made according to a receipt for the month preceding the current one.
If the area is served by a third-party intermediary organization, then you need to contact them for a receipt.
You can pay for gas use in different ways: at a bank branch, through online banking or from the user’s personal account on the website of the gas supplying organization. The personal account is most often the contract number
Along with the amount of debt, it is necessary to pay the state duty, penalties, and enforcement fee. You can sometimes pay for a gas connection with welding upon completion of the work - this possibility should be discussed with an employee of the supplier company in advance.
Despite the uniformity of legal requirements, the cost of services at different gas supply companies may vary. Therefore, restoring gas supply in one region will cost more or less than the same operation in another.
On average, the cost of reconnecting gas in apartments reaches 6 thousand rubles. This amount does not include the purchase of new meters, fees for verification of old flow meters
However, the estimate drawn up by gas service employees should be as transparent as possible. It lists all the work and consumables. Prices are taken from the official price list of the organization.
Step No. 2 – drawing up and submitting an application
There is no single application form. But its content is the same in most cases.
It includes:
- information about the applicant-owner of the gasified premises;
- exact address of the apartment;
- information about debt repayment indicating the date.
The application must be accompanied by paid receipts for gas supply, dismantling, connection and re-installation of devices.
Personal presence when submitting an application is not required. This can be done via the Internet. Appearance is required only to sign the contract and approve the individual payment schedule
Experienced users recommend saving copies of receipts and submitting the application in duplicate. The first will remain with the gas company, and on the second, the subscriber department employee will sign to confirm receipt of the application and the receipts attached to it.
By law, authorized representatives of gas services must make a decision on reconnecting gas within 5 working days. This is stated in Government Decree No. 549, once again edited in September 2021. The starting point is the date of acceptance of the application.
Step No. 3 - resuming the gas supply
It happens that when dismantling a gas pipeline, gas service technicians notice a malfunction of equipment, incorrect placement of devices, or the expiration of their service life.
In this case, the owner of the premises will have to correct the shortcomings at his own expense, pay fines and, along with confirmation of payment, provide relevant evidence.
Unauthorized tapping into a gas pipeline in a private house, as well as unapproved gas connection in an apartment, is punishable by a fine of 10 to 15 thousand rubles. Such a violation, committed repeatedly, entails criminal liability.
If all devices and pipes are normal, then after making a decision to reconnect the gas, the master will come to carry out the work at the agreed time.
At this stage the owner must prepare:
- A previously concluded gas supply agreement.
- Ownership documents.
- Technical data sheets of gas-using equipment, flow meters.
During the connection process, the technician will connect the pipes, restore flange connections, and check the tightness of the gas pipeline. Since the installation is carried out using welding machines, it is worth preparing the workplace: remove foreign objects, pull back the curtains, protect the walls, kitchen appliances, and furniture.
The result of the work should be connected devices and sealed meters. If the meter was checked while waiting for the fuel supply to be restored, the date of the check must be shown in the work completion report.
Sometimes the meter is sealed separately. To do this, the owner of the flow meter writes an additional application and separately calls a specialist. In this case, payment according to the meter data is calculated only after the seal is installed. Until this moment, calculations are carried out according to the standards
The readings of the newly installed meter and the date the device was put into operation must also be recorded.
General procedure for service restoration
Paragraph 48 of the resolution provides for the restoration of gas supply within 5 days (calendar) after repayment of expenses of the company that disconnected and connected gas appliances.
The period is counted from the date of receipt of notification that the causes of the shutdown have been eliminated . During this time, the gas supply must be restored and the seals removed from gas meters. It is also recommended to conclude a connection act.
Important! To connect gas, you will have to pay for it if the gas supply tariff does not include the connection service in the calculation as an unscheduled expense or in the region the Department has established a tariff for such an action.
Connection steps:
- Debt payment.
- Written notification to services that the subscriber has eliminated the reasons that served as the basis for suspending gas supplies.
- Connecting gas and removing seals from the meter.
- Conclusion of the gas connection act.
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.
Step-by-step instruction
Before starting all actions, you should contact the organization that disconnected the gas to clarify the list and sequence of actions to restore the connection.
The company will announce what is required from the debtor and within what time frame. Let's consider the sequence of actions.
Repayment of a debt
Payment of the debt amount is a prerequisite for reconnection. If the debt is large, or the owner of the apartment does not have financial security for a one-time payment, it is possible to draw up an agreement to pay the amount several times - in installments .
The amounts and terms of payments differ depending on the accepted terms of the agreement.
When determining the amounts and frequency of payments, additional payments for connecting and disconnecting in-house (in-apartment) equipment and other technical work are taken into account.
In the usual case, they are paid to the gas supplier (resource supply organization), but if these services are provided in a private home by a third-party company, you need to contact them for a receipt of payment. Additional payments can be made before the gas is connected or upon completion of the action .
Submitting an application
It is better to write an application for resumption of connection to the gas transmission network directly to the supplier’s organization. It is written in free form and includes a notice that debt obligations have been fulfilled.
The application should list the attached receipts for the repaid debt and paid disconnection/connection services. Attaching copies of consumable documents, the application is submitted in person at the company’s office, or sent by registered mail.
Receiving confirmation of acceptance
When submitting your application, make sure to make a photocopy of it . The employee who accepted the paper endorses the incoming application, and puts the date, number of incoming documentation, and confirmation of the attached receipts on the copy.
You can immediately submit an application in two copies.
Consideration of the application
Government Decree No. 549 provides for a five-day period for consideration of the submitted application. The period begins from the day the application is accepted, which is considered a written notification that the reasons for the suspension of gas supply have been eliminated.
Resumption of service
Since all the required amounts have been paid or secured by the concluded agreement, you can expect a visit from an employee of the resource supplying organization. Before reconnecting the gas, he will have to inspect the equipment for malfunctions and compliance with the standard operating life.
Attention! If the condition of the devices is in doubt, the employee may refuse to resume gas supplies, citing the need for diagnostics or replacement of equipment.
If the gas service specialist has no complaints, the seals are removed, the gas supply is restored and the equipment is sealed quite quickly.
Resolving controversial issues
When, for various reasons, payment for the service was not made by the subscriber and his gas was turned off, but subsequently, after completing all the required steps, the order should have been resumed, but this did not happen, or the shutdown was repeated without prior warning, the subscriber has the right, in turn, to send complaints.
This becomes a violation of citizen's rights. If there is evidence of a violation of procedural norms, the complaint is referred to the following authorities:
- Management Company;
- prosecutor's office;
- Housing Inspection;
- Rospotrebnadzor.
When this government agency receives a fact about violations of a citizen’s rights in relation to a company supplying a house or apartment, an unscheduled inspection is often initiated.
Receiving confirmation of a violation, in turn, becomes the basis for holding the service provider company administratively liable. True, a subscriber who sends an unfounded complaint can be held accountable.
Timely fulfillment of financial obligations regarding the provision of housing and utility services is the responsibility of the citizen. But no one has canceled emergency situations in a person’s life, and if they arise, returning gas to your home ultimately turns out to be quite simple and in a short time.
Issue cost
Paying debts for gas supplies usually does not raise questions among consumers. But the need to pay money for the process of disconnecting and connecting the gas supply often becomes a reason for discussion.
The law in this case allows no doubt: paragraph 48 of the Resolution places the payment of expenses incurred by the company entirely on the shoulders of the subscriber.
The list includes work performed to disconnect and connect gas equipment located in an apartment or house, and the fee for its sealing.
The consumer should take into account the need for these costs when applying for gas supply restoration. The cost of the work will depend on the region of residence , but will be at least 4-5 thousand rubles. This is actually a small price to pay for such a service.
So, we answered the question - how much does it cost to connect, and then we will figure out what to do if the gas is not returned after payment.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
In the video, a gas service specialist once again reminds us of the procedure to follow if it is necessary to resume gas supply after a forced shutdown:
So, we figured out what to do if the gas was turned off for non-payment, how to quickly connect it and what documents are needed for this. Despite the fact that the algorithm is clear and simple, restoring the fuel supply takes energy and time, and drains the budget. Therefore, it is better to avoid delays and monitor the receipt of payment information.
If you already have experience in reconnecting gas or have ever paid off a debt on an individual schedule or received a deferment, write. Your comments can become a useful guide to action for those who find themselves in a similar situation for the first time. The form below allows you to ask questions, participate in the discussion of the material, post photographs and scans of documents and receipts.
What if the gas is not returned?
Subparagraph “b” of paragraph 23 of the Resolution states the right of the gas supply organization to suspend the supply of the resource until the subscriber has paid the debt in full. But it happens that the debt is paid, but the gas supply is not restored .
The reason may be a technical delay in processing the payment. To avoid such a nuisance, it is better to go personally to the office of the gas supply organization immediately after repaying the debt and present a check or receipt for the paid debt to the company employee.
In this case, you should ask him to make an appropriate note in the submitted papers.
From our special publications, you can also find out how and in what cases disconnection is possible in apartment buildings and private houses, on what grounds disconnection can be carried out, in which cases it can be considered illegal, and also what fines are imposed on those who unauthorizedly connect gas stoves and water heaters.
