Water / Cold and hot water meters
How and when employees management company has the right to check the status of water meters? And can I not let her representatives into the apartment? The answers to these questions are given in their explanations by the prosecutor's office of St. Petersburg.
Who and with what regularity has the right to check the water meter in your apartment?
The procedure for checking the reliability of the readings of in-house meters utilities established by the Rules for the provision utilities owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings, approved by decree Governments Russian Federation dated 06.05.2011 No. 354.
The service provider, as a rule, is the Management Company, has the right to check the reliability of the readings of individual metering devices transmitted by the consumer by visiting them no more than 1 time in 6 months.
14 days before the inspection, the Management Company is obliged to send or hand over to the consumer a notice of the expected date and time of the inspection, the need to ensure admission to the apartment, explaining the consequences of the consumer's inaction or refusal of admission to metering devices.
In turn, the consumer is obliged to ensure the admission of the contractor to the occupied dwelling for the inspection at the time specified in the notice.
Residents are obliged to notify the contractor no later than 2 days before the date specified in the notification about the impossibility of ensuring the admission of the inspector to the apartment due to temporary absence, suggesting a different date and time for the inspection.
Based on the results of the check, the contractor is obliged to immediately draw up an act, which is signed by the contractor's representative and the consumer. One copy of the act is delivered or sent by registered mail to the consumer.
If the consumer did not provide admission to the apartment on the date and time specified in the notice of the inspection or in the message of the consumer, and at the same time, with regard to the consumer, the contractor does not have information about his temporary absence from the occupied living quarters, an act of refusal of admission to the device is drawn up accounting.
After the expiration of 3 settlement periods from the date of drawing up such an act, the performer has the right to calculate the payment for utilities based on the standard of consumption of utilities, taking into account the number of persons permanently and temporarily residing in the dwelling, as well as taking into account the increasing coefficient starting from the 1st day of the month, in which such an act is drawn up. The value of the multiplying coefficient is taken equal to 1.5.
If the contractor does not have information about citizens permanently and temporarily residing in a residential premises, the volume of utilities is calculated taking into account the number of owners of such premises.
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Meters Act 2018
Water meters are no longer a curiosity. Similar devices are installed in almost every apartment. However, it is essential to be aware of the laws that govern their use. This will help avoid payment problems.
Note! In 2018, the law describing the new rules for the use of water meters was not passed. Similar regulatory legal act submitted for consideration, but for a number of reasons it was not approved by the Government of the Russian Federation.
However, some changes have appeared. This applies to fines for the absence of measuring devices in the apartment. Payment for illegal use of water resources per person has been increased, which occurs annually.
So, for example, in 2017, from January to June, the coefficient was 1.1, from July to December it increased by 0.1 and amounted to 1.2.
Now the coefficient is:
- from January to July 2018 - 1.4;
- from July to December 2018 - 1.5.
According to some reports, the latter coefficient will be increased to 1.6. The government is not going to remove penalties, so one should beware of their increase. The payment is calculated based on the average per capita water consumption and this coefficient.
So, for example, if one person uses 10 m3 per month, another - 12 m3, the third - 15 m3, and the fourth - 27 m3, the average per capita resource consumption will be: (10 + 12 + 15 + 27) / 4 = 16 m3.
And the amount payable will increase by 1.4, that is, if a rate of 25 rubles is set for one m3, then the amount of payment will be equal to (16 * 25) * 1.4 = 560 rubles per person.
The full size of the fee is set from the number of registered people, the average per capita rate, and the coefficient. Thus, if 3 people are registered in the apartment, then an amount equal to 560 * 3 = 1680 rubles is payable. The more people there are, the higher the fees.
Attention! Our qualified lawyers will assist you free of charge and around the clock on any questions.
What devices need to be installed for measuring
The subscriber has every right to choose a device that he likes. There are no restrictions on brands, prices and other specifications. Now there are many types of water meters on the market, but the user is free to purchase exactly the one that he likes and suits the cost.
However, some housing and communal services, management companies oblige customers to purchase a specific device. This is wrong. But it is better not to go against the housing and utilities sector, since it is very difficult to prove your case.
Terms of work of water meters
The service life of water meters is determined exclusively by the technical capabilities of a particular device. Such information is indicated by the manufacturer in the accompanying documentation. After its completion, it is required to replace the device with a new one. Therefore, it is better to immediately choose a meter that has a long service life.
Important! There are work statistics. Imported water meters can be used for fifteen years. However, the service life of domestic devices decreases and is approximately 5-8 years.
The law prohibits the use of a faulty device, but nothing is said about the time of using the working device. Therefore, you can change the water meter after it breaks down or at another convenient time.
What to do after the end of the term of use
Responsible users, after the expiration of the service life of the cold and hot water meter, replace it with a new one. However, it should be remembered that the replacement procedure is divided into several stages.
Filling out the application form for replacing the meter. You can reinstall the device on your own, but the management company must be aware of the owner's intention to replace it. In addition, some housing and communal services provide their own services.
When the application is submitted, a replacement timeline should be agreed. You need to choose a date and time convenient for yourself so that the master who comes to reinstall the device does not bump into a closed door.
An employee of the housing and communal services, management company is obliged to take the last meter readings and fix the integrity of the seal. Only then can you reinstall it.
If the replacement is made by an employee of the housing and communal services or the management company, he will perform work on the day of taking readings, seal the new device. However, if the installation is performed by a third-party organization, then a center specialist should be invited to seal.
Important! You should not skip the annual checks of the integrity and safety of hydrometers, otherwise housing and communal services will charge a payment taking into account the coefficients.
Note! You should not intend to hide from the inspectors, in any case, if the company does not make sure that the device is available and does not verify the readings, the payment will be charged for each person, taking into account the coefficient.
Basis for verification of measuring instruments
Employees of the housing and communal services management company have the right to check the integrity, safety of measuring instruments, as well as to take meter readings.
This right is regulated in several regulatory legal acts:
- Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 05/06/2011 N 354 (as amended on 03/27/2018) "On the provision of utilities to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings" (together with the "Rules for the provision of utilities to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential houses ");
- Federal Law "On Energy Saving and on Increasing Energy Efficiency and on Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" of 23.11.2009 N 261-FZ;
- Federal Law "On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements" dated 26.06.2008 N 102-FZ.
A quarterly, annual check of water meters is mandatory.
She is appointed for the following purposes:
- identification of malfunctioning devices;
- identification of the facts of violation of the use of devices;
- unaccounted consumption of water resources.
However, the owner may not even notice the failure of the device. Under the influence of third-party factors, the device begins to show incorrect values. The fault can only be identified special means, which are available to the employees of housing and communal services and the management company.
Remember! External factors affecting the change in the digital indicator include the primary reasons:
- the use of water, which contains solid microparticles that pass through the device and disable it;
- water supply of inadequate quality, for example, through a clogged filter;
- expiration of the life of the meter;
- deliberate breakdown of the device by the user of the resource in order to reduce the cost of utility bills;
- constant shutdown of water, due to which the mechanisms of the device dry up.
It doesn't matter for what reason the device is out of order, the owner is obliged to replace it on his own. If, after checking by an employee and receiving a certificate of unsuitability for its use, the subscriber did not replace it, he will face penalties.
Is it obligatory to carry out verification
It is imperative to check the integrity, safety of the water meter. The owner must notice the malfunction on his own and contact the management company.
However, if he did not do this, but continued to pay for the consumption of the resource according to the indications of the faulty device, over the past six months his payments will be recalculated based on the number of people living in the apartment.
Attention! In some regions, the Government has met the users halfway. After all, it is quite possible that they did not know about the malfunction of the device and therefore did not report this fact. Here recalculation takes place in just 3 last month, and not in six months, which significantly reduces costs.
Differences by region are associated not only with the timing of recalculation, but also with consumption rates. So, for example, in Moscow 1 m3 of cold water costs 35.1 rubles, while in the provinces the cost is lower and varies between 20 - 28 rubles per 1 m3.
In what time frame are metering devices verified?
The period for checking the meter is indicated in the accompanying documentation for the device. Housing and communal services employees proceed from the average indicator, since in the same house the installation of devices occurs at approximately the same period.
However, the Government Decree gives a clear understanding of the interval during which the device must be checked:
- 6 years - cold water consumption measuring devices;
- 4 years - devices for measuring hot water consumption.
The difference is that exposure to high temperatures is detrimental to technical condition devices.
Please note! Check count measuring instrument starts not from the date of its installation, but from the moment of its production. Such information is indicated on the case, reflected in the technical passport. The housing and communal services employee enters the data into the individual payer's card.
Do not pay attention to promotional devices that have been in the warehouse for a long time. It will have to be reinstalled much faster, so the costs will increase.
What organizations can verify water meters
It is impossible to independently verify the serviceability of the device for measuring the consumption of cold and hot water. There are companies that are authorized to test the device for its safety and integrity.
These include:
- employees of the territorial water utility;
- employees of licensed companies authorized to carry out the analysis.
During the check, the meter should be dismantled and transported to a special laboratory. For some time, the consumer will have to pay for services according to average standards, taking into account the coefficients.
The service is paid. However, its cost is relatively low. In the Moscow region, they take about 500 - 800 rubles for a check. In addition, the owner does not need to independently dismantle the device. Specialists will arrive at a convenient time and carry out the necessary work.
If, according to the results of the check, the device is found to be faulty, it must be replaced, and data on this fact is transferred to the housing and communal services.
Replacement instead of verification
If the owner does not want to carry out the check, he has the right to refuse it. However, you will have to replace the device with a new one. This rule is due to the fact that testing, installation, dismantling of equipment costs the same cost as installing a new device. Therefore, it is better to immediately replace it with a known working meter in order to avoid overpayment.
Remember! To carry out a replacement, you must contact special service, which will record the last readings and remove the seal. Only then can the device be destroyed. It is important to have with you all documents of title, receipts for payment of utilities, otherwise the procedure will be refused.
The fact of installing a new unit must be registered in a special document. The housing and communal services employee will seal it. After entering the data in the register, you can pay according to the new indications.
You should not wait for the test results. According to statistics, 90% of the checked devices are faulty. If the user is convinced that the device has been installed for a long time, he needs to independently check and replace the equipment.
Reinstalling a new unit is much faster than checking an old one. As a rule, 80% of users prefer to change it right away.
Watch the video. Calibration of water meters:
The nuances of purchasing a new device
At first glance, buying a meter seems like a breeze.
Note! Some nuances that will help avoid additional costs:
- it is necessary to purchase a water meter in specialized companies. This will help you avoid purchasing a defective product. In addition, when concluding a sales contract, you should make sure that you have the accompanying documentation. Without them, the employees of the water utility will refuse to seal the new device;
- In no case should the technical passport for the device for measuring water consumption be lost. The date and results of the check are recorded in it. If the document is lost, the device should be replaced;
- you need to purchase a device that was manufactured as early as possible. In this case, the term for its replacement is increased. The production date can be found on the product body or in the data sheet.
There is no need to chase cheapness. It is possible that the device is being sold with hidden faults.
Is it possible to check two counters at once
Some companies practice checking two devices at once, a hot and cold water meter. It is not prohibited. However, the timing of the analysis of the resource consumption measuring device high temperature come much earlier, by about 2 years. But nothing bad will happen if the cold water consumption device is checked earlier than the prescribed period.
Important! A simultaneous check of devices with different dates can be initiated by the owner himself. Refuse to given right no one can. Cold water meters should be checked once every 4 years, and hot water meters - 1 time every 6 years.
Penalty for non-verified water meter
Many utility payers received a receipt, which reflected the line of the fine for using a faulty device for measuring the consumption of hot and cold water or their complete absence. The legislation does not provide for such sanctions. Misconduct HOA employees can be challenged in court.
However, the wording “penalty for unaccounted consumption of cold (hot) water” is used to reflect the legitimate calculation of the consumed resources.
It should be clarified in the housing and communal services, HOA for what the fine was charged, and how its amount was determined. If this is any fixed amount, then its accrual is illegal.
Resource consumption rates do not differ much in the regions.
On average, they are:
- 7 m3 per person for cold water;
- 5 m3 per person for hot water.
If housing and communal services specialists have charged more than 10 m3 per person, you should contact the service for clarification. Numbers like this are not used anywhere else.
Water meters. The same concerns those who have just installed a new meter. After sealing the device, you need to go to the management company in order to register the device, and submit documents to the single information and settlement center (EIRTS).
Where to take documents after installing water meters?
Let's start in order, because first you need to install a water meter at home, and this also entails the submission of the relevant documents to the authorities. Having bought the necessary device, you can install it yourself or contact a specialist for help. After installing the device, you can submit documents.
If you have just water meters, then a logical question arises of where to carry the documents and how to register them. As a rule, if you contacted qualified specialists of the relevant companies to install the device, then they must provide you with all the necessary package of documents. That is why it is better not to do the installation of the unit yourself, because then you will have problems filling out the documents.
Answering the question of where to carry the certificate of or verification of water meters, you can give the following answer: with all the papers issued by the installers, you must go to the DEZ. Employees of this institution will register an act of authorization for the operation of the meter. By the way, the same document should be issued if the old device is replaced with a new unit.
Where to submit certificates of verification of water meters
Then, with the same package of documents, you need to visit the EIRTs, where an agreement will be drawn up for the payment of utility services for water supply. You will carry the documents for the EIRC even after the verification of the water meters has been performed, so remember the address and telephone number of this institution well, or even better write it down. Usually, the registration procedure for all securities does not take much time.
We figured out where to carry the documents on the verification and installation of water meters, but it is equally important to know which package of documents you need to collect. So, you need to take the following papers:
- Agreement with the company that installed the unit.
- Acceptance certificate for work performed.
- Certificate of authorization for the use of the device (you will need three copies of the document).
- Technical data sheet for the unit. The devices for calculating the volume of consumption of hot and cold water must have different passports. EIRC employees need the serial numbers of the units and the readings of the device at the time of its installation. This will allow you to keep track of checks and readings of water consumption.
When registering a new device, employees of the organization will enter the following data:
- The date of manufacture of the unit.
- Serial number of the device. This number is indicated in the unit.
- Month, day and year of installation of the device in your home.
- Initial indicators on the counter.
For those who completed the installation of the device at home on their own, the same answer can be given to the question of where to submit documents after installing water meters. However, before that, you need to invite an employee of the DEZ or another organization responsible for accounting for water meters. He will check the correct installation of the unit, put seals on it and issue registration documents.
Where to submit documents after checking the water meters?
You can find out on your own that it is time to check the meter by the date of the last calibration of the device, adding four years to it for a hot water meter or six years for a device for cold water. To check the unit, you can do the following:
- Contact the organization responsible for the water supply. They will send their specialist who will dismantle the unit and hand it over for verification.
- Place an order for instrument verification in a private laboratory approved by the accreditation commission.
- You can also order a verification of the device at home. Some modern laboratories have mobile devices for checking water meters without removing them.
However, after checking the meter and receiving all the necessary papers, the question arises of where to carry the documents. Any foreman, that is a specialist in a private laboratory, that an employee of an organization supplying water, must carefully and correctly fill out the documents. In doing so, you should receive two copies. One remains with you so that you can know about the next verification date, and you need to take the second document to the EIRTs.
Now you know where to refer documents after checking water meters. We advise you to do this immediately after completing the verification procedure, so that the data on the new verification dates can be updated in the system, and you will continue to be charged according to the meter readings, and not from the average indicators per one registered person.
We hope that the information on where to submit documents after checking and installing water meters will be useful to you and will help you quickly conduct a new unit or update data on a previously installed device.
What is water meter verification? This is a test of the device for its suitability for further use. There are certain standards that the readings of the water meter must comply with: its error should not exceed plus or minus 2% of the reference readings.
Obviously, the amount you have to pay depends on the correctness of the counter. resource supplying organization, and deviations will have a very unpleasant effect on the consumer's budget. It may seem that a downward mistake can bring benefits to the owner of the device, but this is not so: sooner or later the mistake will be noticed anyway, and the lack of payment will have to be fully compensated.
For these reasons, it will not be possible to avoid or in Moscow. In addition, the need for diagnostics is clearly regulated by law. And despite the fact that about the law on verification of water meters from November 1, 2017 year in Moscow does not exist, is functioning much earlier state document, namely, Federal Law No. 102-FZ “On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements”.
It is this document that regulates the procedure for diagnosing individual hot and cold water meters in Moscow. Cancellation is not expected. According to this legislative act, the meters should be periodically checked, while the regularity of the procedures is determined by the manufacturer of the metering equipment, and all costs and responsibility for meeting the deadlines are assigned to the owners of the water meter.
The duration of the calibration interval depends on several factors, but, as a rule, it is 4 years for hot water meters and 6 years for cold water meters.
Why is it that in 2017 and 2018 exactly the same deadlines are set for calibrating water meters in Moscow? In general, water meters are durable devices, and in good conditions can serve much longer than 12 years, that is, the period fixed by law in GOST R 50601-93. But manufacturers take into account that there are no ideal conditions for operating water meters outside the plant. Water often does not correspond to the declared quality; it contains an increased content of rust and chemicals. The pipelines are exposed to excessive mechanical stress. And consumers are not always careful in handling water meters.
For these reasons, water meters often fail, and invisibly to the eye. And the time between checks is reduced to reasonable limits in order to be able to prevent errors due to malfunctions in advance. Although in some cases, for the most reliable models of 2017, the period between calibrations is increased, and it can be 6 or more years for hot water meters and station wagons.
However, calibration of water meters may be necessary not only in cases where the calibration interval has ended. You can also notice that something is wrong with the water meter by looking at the next receipt from the organization that provides you with water supply services. If the amount seems too low or too high for you, then ordering a verification will be the best solution.
Checking water meters for free
Mentioned above the federal law strictly formulates the conditions for checking water meters in Moscow: the state, resource supplying and management companies are not obliged to carry out it, therefore there is no option for free diagnostics of water meters. This is important to remember, as rumors regularly appeared in the press in 2018 that checking water meters free of charge by law not only provided but prescribed. There were also materials about the abolition of mandatory diagnostics, although in fact it was not canceled.
According to the law, the Criminal Code or Vodokanal is not only not obliged to verify your meter for free, they do not even notify you of the need for verification.
How correctly according to the law in 2017 and 2018 is carried out official procedure verification of water meters in Moscow? The answer to the question is this: it can be carried out in two ways, standard or without withdrawal. None of the options are free of charge. In the first case, the master first dismantles the IPU and installs the closing device. Next, you take the meter to the institution that will be engaged in diagnostics. A few days later, you pick up the device, and the wizard will install it.
The second way is much easier. It consists of next steps:
- You call a specialist and provide free access to the IMU.
- He comes to your house and uses a portable metrological stand to diagnose the meter.
- Documents corresponding to the verification result are drawn up, which are then provided to the organization engaged in the registration of the IPU.
Remember that you should order software services only from institutions that have a certificate of state accreditation issued by the Federal Accreditation Service. If the company does not have such a certificate, the verification performed by it is not considered legal and will not be taken into account. Also pay attention to the prices of the services provided. If the company promises to check the water meters without removing them in Moscow, 300 rubles. - clearly insufficient price and cause for concern. The adequate cost of the procedure in an accredited organization will be from 600 rubles.
Assumes the analysis of metrological characteristics to identify errors. According to the standard, the difference between actual and reference readings should not exceed 2%. Strong deviations, both upward and downward, threaten inevitable problems: in the first case, the consumer will overpay, and in the second, he will compensate for losses in full.
And although on November 1, 2017, the Russian government abolished the law that concerns the verification of water measuring equipment in Moscow, the procedure for its carrying out is still regulated by the document "On ensuring the uniformity of measurements."
Current articles argue the need for diagnostics, and the frequency of this procedure is set by the meter manufacturers themselves. The consumer is responsible for meeting deadlines and running costs. Typically, the standard calibration interval for water meters is:
- 6 years (for cold water);
- 4 years (for hot).
Only a few ultra-reliable models can boast more loyal terms of service. Where do these numbers come from? According to GOST R50601-93, the permissible period of operation of such equipment should not exceed 12 years. And although many water meters are theoretically able to withstand much longer, ideal conditions are needed for this.
Companies that make metering devices take into account consumer negligence, pipeline problems, and poor water quality. Hence - a limited intertesting period, which allows timely prevention of a malfunction. But if you notice a discrepancy between the consumed resources and the amount of the receipt, do not wait for the deadline - immediately call the wizard for early diagnostics.
Is it possible to check water meters free of charge?
The Law "On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements" states that neither the management nor the resource supplying structures bear any responsibility for the verification: the consumer must order the testing of the water meter at his own expense. Any rumors that the government canceled this service or made it free of charge have no legal basis... It is still mandatory, but now the water utility or the management company have the right not to even notify about the expiring dates.
How is this procedure going now? The legislation provides for diagnostics with or without removal. The standard method involves examining the dismantled device in a special organization with subsequent installation. The second option is much simpler:
- the owner of the real estate calls the master to the house;
- the arriving specialist analyzes the characteristics of the water meter using a metrological stand, and then records the data obtained in a separate form;
- the consumer provides the relevant documents to the regulatory authorities.
But it should be remembered: you can only trust the verification of water meters to accredited companies that have an official certificate. Federal Service... This is very important because otherwise the results will be declared illegal. In addition, the price must be taken into account: 300 rubles for a procedure without withdrawal is an obvious deception. Honest authorized organization the cost of such a service will be at least 600 rubles, which is still considered a very advantageous offer on the market.
It is better to make sure that you have accreditation before the transaction is concluded, although according to the rules, a copy of the certificate must be in the documents that the client receives in his hands. Also, the package of obligatory securities includes:
- verification certificate (only for serviceable meters);
- service contract;
- acceptance certificate of works.
Plus, the specialist is obliged to make a note in the data sheet of the device. The provided documentation should be handed over to the local water utility, EIRC or management company. It will be possible to continue the further use of the water meter only after its legal registration.