What does the receipt look like?
The document is drawn up in the approved form. Therefore, deciphering a receipt for housing and communal services is impossible without understanding its components:
- payer information;
- housing address;
- details and other information about payment recipients;
- current account number;
- barcode or QR stamp;
- privileges;
- information about debt or recalculation;
- information about services (their detailed list);
- tariffs, amount to be paid.
The information listed is always reflected in the receipt.
For utilities
Payment documents of this group require reimbursement of the cost of the supplied resource. This could be electricity, gas, water. The amounts indicated in the receipt are calculated based on tariffs and consumption volume. The latter indicator is indicated based on meter readings. Or the accrual occurs at average rates, which is less profitable than paying by meter.
For housing services
These include those that are not associated with the supply of special resources. Housing services are not quantifiable. These include:
- repair;
- communications maintenance;
- garbage removal;
- landscaping and yard maintenance;
- arrangement of parking spaces, etc.
Separate payments for the listed services are not sent. They are included in the general receipt for rent and utilities.
What groups are graphs classified into?
Modern receipts can be classified according to columns. Of course, no single form has been established. And all because receipts are compiled by management organizations, and each of them has its own, convenient, clearly developed form.
- The main column is the name of the service.
- Then its cost per unit of consumption is indicated.
- The billing period is set.
- Next, the number of consumed units is indicated.
- Benefits and discounts that may affect the final cost are indicated.
- Then the total amount is determined.
- The total number of servants listed on the receipt is added up, and at the end the final bill is given.
How to understand the contents of a document
Some payment provisions may raise questions among consumers. Abbreviations are not always clear. Sometimes it is difficult to find individual important information. Let's look at how to understand a rent receipt.
Account number
This ID is very important. A personal account is opened upon receipt of ownership of an apartment or house. Using its numbers, you can pay for housing and communal services or find out all the necessary information on the Internet. Knowing the address and personal account, the buyer of the property, even before concluding the transaction, will be able to verify that there are no debts or a lien on the living space.
Where to indicate a personal account on a payment slip is not regulated by law. However, clause 69 of the Government of the Russian Federation Decree No. 354 of 05/06/2011 lists everything that this payment document should include. The numbers should be found in the receipt header closer to the upper left corner.
What happens if I fill it out incorrectly?
If the information is presented in the document in full and no errors are made, then there will be no claims against the consumer from the management company or water supply organization.
For various reasons, a person may confuse numbers, lines and indicate data in a payment slip that does not correspond to reality .
If, as a result of an error, lower readings were indicated and an underestimated amount was paid, then in the next month it is allowed to increase the payment to the required amount, based on the current readings of the instruments.
If the amount is indicated much higher, then the meter readings can be changed, and the overpayment can then be returned. To do this, you must first record the actual instrument readings in an inspection report. Next, contact Vodokanal specialists by writing a statement asking to recalculate the amount.
Having submitted the application for consideration, you must receive a copy with a mark of its acceptance, indicating the date and name of the specialist.
If the issue is addressed in a timely manner, the consumer receives a receipt next month indicating the amount of the overpayment.
It is subtracted from the total amount obtained in the table with readings. If the figure is very large, then it is distributed over several months.
Everything you need to know about water meters is presented in this section of the site.
What receipts should you receive?
Let's look at the main types of bills, receipts for which are regularly received by residents of apartment buildings.
For electricity
Everyone uses this type of resource. Payment is calculated according to the meter or based on average consumption standards. There is nothing difficult about how to understand an electricity receipt. The main thing is to find the column where the meter readings are entered. You can use the example below as a guide.
For water
Most often, the amount is included in the general rent receipt. However, there are also separate documents. It is important for residents to remember that in the event of debt, the management company can only turn off the hot water supply as punishment. Cold water must remain with the consumer around the clock.
For gas
The payment may include not only an invoice for the supply of the energy carrier itself. It also includes maintenance of meters and other equipment that must be regularly monitored due to the danger of gas leaks for others.
For heating
One of the few payments that are calculated without indoor metering devices. The accrual occurs either only during the heating season, or the amount is divided into all months of the year. However, the latter scheme is being phased out as people have to pay for a service they don't receive in the summer. There are also other resources for which receipts may be received. But telephone, Internet and other benefits are not included in the concept of housing and communal services.
In what cases do the first digits of a barcode indicate the country?
- As a rule, on the Internet the emphasis is on the first three digits according to the EAN 13 system. And supposedly the first numbers speak about the country of origin of the goods and the country where the money will go. So what do the three numbers ultimately mean?
If we take the EAN-13 symbol, then this symbol is used to identify manufacturers’ goods, and even in it the first 3 digits do not indicate the country of origin of the product; first you need to find out in which system the barcode was assigned (GS1 system or DiSAI system or ISBN system, etc. .d.) and then look at the reference books of these systems to see what this barcode means.
Features of payment for utilities
Today, you can fulfill your primary responsibility as a law-abiding resident in a large number of ways. People pay their bills in banks, through terminals, on the Internet using a computer or mobile device. There is a single deadline for paying utility bills - the 10th day of the month following the billing period. Starting from the 31st day following the day of the due date for payment until the day of actual payment, a penalty is charged in the amount of 1/300, and from the 91st day in the amount of 1/130 of the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
Why do you need a contract?
Concluding a maintenance contract is a mandatory procedure. Responsibility for the condition and serviceability lies with the owners.
After signing the contract, responsibility lies with the negotiating organization. A similar situation arises when servicing common property.
Housing and communal services do not have the right to carry out repairs and maintenance of gas equipment. Therefore, they are required to enter into an agreement with an organization that has the appropriate permits, certificates and support personnel.
In this case, gas services will independently check the equipment, carry out preventive maintenance and be responsible for its serviceability. However, their work is controlled and paid by the owners.
Retention period for payment receipts for housing and communal services
This question can be debated. The fact is that no law obliges residents to keep payment slips. All information is in electronic databases. It is important for consumers themselves to have payment documents at hand. In case of disputes, they will help to defend their case, including in court. Thus, the storage period for utility payment receipts can be determined at 3 years. This is the limitation period for general civil disputes.
However, some experts recommend keeping payments for a later time, guided by the fact that if the plaintiff initiates proceedings, the statute of limitations will be suspended. Therefore, in reality, sometimes litigation drags on. Disputes often arise over debts for periods of 4-5 years and beyond. Therefore, there is no clear answer to the question of how long to keep receipts for utility bills. It is important to remember the following.
- Failure to keep receipts is not a violation.
- All information can be obtained from the management company, from payment centers, or taken a printout from service providers.
- Still, saving payment documents can protect the consumer from additional problems.
Otherwise, each person is free to decide for himself what to do with these documents. A good option is to collect an electronic archive of receipts. A regular printout also has full legal force.
When can payment slips be disposed of (Limitation period)
This period is 3 years. But sometimes the period for how long it is necessary to store receipts for payment of housing and communal services may exceed the specified value.
Where is the sample?
The form of receipt provided to consumers in different regions may vary. It is obtained directly from the organization involved in the supply and accounting of water resources or from the house management.
If you have Internet access, you can download and print the form without leaving your home . To do this, you need to open the website of the water supplier company in your city or region. Next, you need to log into the user’s personal account.
If you are logging in for the first time, you must first register by following the instructions on the site. There is a tab in your personal account that allows you to download the required form.
Many organizations offer an even more convenient reporting option – online. It does not require a paper receipt. All information on water consumption is submitted electronically through your personal account on the water utility website.
If a mistake is made
Often, management companies assign larger amounts for housing and communal services than should actually be the case. In this case, if a complaint is filed in a timely manner, a fine may be imposed for incorrect charging of utilities. Its amount depends on specific circumstances. In any case, the tenant will not get this money. The consumer has the right only to demand recalculation or cancellation of individual columns or the entire receipt. The details of the issue are regulated by Art. 157 Housing Code of the Russian Federation.
Maintenance of internal systems (VKGO)
Maintenance of VKGO is the basis of safety. Responsibility for the maintenance and technical condition of gas appliances installed in the apartment lies with the owners.
However, maintenance must be carried out by specialists from a certified organization. Regular inspection ensures safe operation.
The work regulations include:
- Check the tightness of connections using a gas analyzer or soap solution.
- Monitoring the performance of sensors.
- Inspection of the ventilation system.
- Gas service workers are required to provide services for maintenance, lubrication or repair of gas equipment taps.
These works are mandatory. They maintain the operation of equipment and ensure uninterrupted gas supply to consumers.
What happens if you don't pay
In the absence of a maintenance contract, owners may be subject to fines. But first they will be warned.
If residents do not respond to the sanctions, gas services have the right to suspend gas supplies, according to Resolution No. 549, for the following reasons:
- The maintenance contract has not been signed or there is no payment for VGDO.
- There is no draft in the ventilation system.
- The service life of the gas equipment has expired.
- Preventing service workers from checking and performing maintenance.
However, refusal to pay does not relieve the owner from liability. If a fire occurs due to his fault, he will be fined 400,000 rubles. He will also be required to compensate for damage caused by the fire.
In recent years, accidents involving gas equipment in residential buildings have become more frequent.
Therefore, the government legally obliges residents to pay for maintenance. Useful article? Rate and share with friends!
