Meters allow you to achieve quite significant savings. By using water correctly in an apartment or house, installing special faucets with aerators and eliminating any leaking taps and shut-off valves, you can save several hundred rubles monthly, which is a fairly large amount for many Russians.
However, it is necessary to independently monitor the timing of verification of metering devices. If such a deadline is missed, there is a chance that the resource supply company will not send the appropriate notification, since this is in its interests. As a result, the subscriber learns about the fact of delay only from a new receipt, where more significant amounts will appear than those to which he is accustomed when making monthly payments.
To prevent this situation, you need to regularly check the timing of meter verification and make notes in your calendar so as not to miss them. You can find out the latest information from the following sources:
- Contact the management company or resource supply organization with an official request or by phone. These organizations are obliged to provide the requested information in writing at the request of the subscriber, sending a response to the request to the specified address.
- View the marks in the water meter passport, where the date of the next verification should be indicated if the documents are filled out correctly.
- Go to a single portal operating throughout Russia and check your meter using its unique identification number. You can find this number either on the body of the device near the dial that displays the current readings, or in the documentation that came with it.
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What is an overdue flow meter control?
Delay is a violation by the owner of the water meter of the deadline for verifying its compliance with metrological parameters.
The water meter passport always indicates the date when its initial verification was carried out.
A single calibration interval is established for cold and hot water meters.
It is 6 years. Reference. The date of verification of the flow meter is indicated in receipts for utility bills. It is written next to the column where the owner writes the current water meter readings.
Your water meter verification period has expired - what to do?
In practice, situations often occur when citizens forget to check their water meter regularly. In such a case, a completely logical question arises - what to do? How to correct the situation if the verification period has expired?
So, if the date for the mandatory inspection of water meters is overdue, you need to call a metrologist as soon as possible so that he can carry out all the procedures.
If, as a result of this check, it turns out that the existing errors are within normal limits, then there will be no significant changes. The specialist will perform only standard procedures (preparing a certificate, marking the device itself and recording it in the technical passport).
If it turns out that the meter reflects incorrect readings or is completely out of order, then you will need to replace it with a new one.
Penalty for late verification
For untimely verification of utility metering devices, incl. and water, no fines are established at the legislative level.
The main consequence that awaits the owner who has delayed the scheduled meter inspection is payment for water according to general standards, and not for the actual volume consumed.
Possible consequences and penalties
The main consequence of delay is an increase in utility bills for water. At first, payments for the supplied resource will be calculated by payment centers based on its average consumption over the last six months.
In the future, the amount of payments for water will increase, since the calculations will begin to take into account the standard along with an increasing coefficient.
There are no penalties for delaying the verification procedure .
The consumer may incur a large debt as a result of recalculation for the entire period when the flow meter was not verified. Such a debt can be challenged in court. Fines can only be imposed when the consumer has damaged the seal on the water meter or torn it off.
Responsibility for not installing water meters
The presence of meters is a prerequisite for consumers of utility services. The only exceptions are those cases when it is impossible to install such a device due to lack of technical capabilities. Moreover, this circumstance must be officially recorded in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.
In this regard, citizens often have a question: is there liability for the absence of a meter? Can a fine be imposed for this?
No, the current legislation does not provide for any sanctions for failure to install devices that allow you to keep track of consumed housing and communal services. However, if such equipment is not available, you will have to pay much more for water.
In conclusion, to avoid a sharp increase in your water bill, you must ensure that the meter is checked by the due date.
If suddenly the deadline is missed, the situation should be corrected as quickly as possible. However, you should not count on receiving a recalculation.
What to do if you missed the control deadline?
In this case, it is recommended to proceed according to the following plan:
- Contact the management company that maintains the house.
This is done orally or in writing. The consumer can choose the company that will carry out the verification work. To do this, he personally goes to the selected organization and enters into an agreement with it. It is important to check whether such companies have accreditation certificates. Only the presence of this document confirms their right to conduct such operations. The validity of the certificate is checked through the website of the Federal Agency for Accreditation.
Wait for a specialist from the management company or another selected organization to carry out verification work.- Based on the results of the measurements taken, obtain a certificate from a specialist.
It will confirm the successful completion of the verification procedure. If the verification fails, the specialist issues an order to the consumer regarding the need to replace the flow meter. - Receive a water meter verification report from a specialist and sign it in 2 copies.
- Send one copy of the act to the resource supplying organization. He will confirm the successful completion of the procedure.
- If the water meter needs to be replaced based on the results of verification activities, then a specialist from the management company is additionally invited to dismantle the old device and install a new one. After this, the specialist seals it and draws up a report. It must be signed by both the specialist and the consumer. One copy of the act is sent to the resource supply company.
After completing the verification work, it is necessary to draw up an application for recalculation. It is written in free form.
It records the following information:
- The management company where the document is sent, its location;
- Full name and address of the person applying;
- explanation of the reason for the delay in verification;
- an indication that the procedure was carried out (the organization and the date of the verification are written);
- please recalculate with reference to clause 61 of the Government Decree dated May 6, 2011, number 354.
Attention. The application must be signed. It must also contain the date on which it was compiled. It is recommended to attach documents confirming the fact that the flow meter has been verified. These are copies of the certificate and the certificate of completion of the procedure.
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Does it matter when the delay was noticed?
The moment the verification delay is discovered determines how much the consumer will ultimately overpay for water.
If it is identified immediately, the owner of the device will pay for the supplied resource at an average value for a short time, after which payments will begin to accrue to him based on actual consumption.
If the delay was detected after some time, then the amount of accrued utility bills for water will increase over time.
Important! Prolonged disregard for overdue payments leads to the fact that settlement centers recalculate according to the standard, taking into account the increasing coefficient. As a result, the consumer may receive a receipt with a multi-thousand dollar debt for water.
Water meter verification is overdue: judicial practice
In judicial practice, there are many proceedings related to the accrual of increased water charges due to the fact that the period for checking the device has passed and the owner of the premises is overdue for it. For example, the following cases can be cited:
- In December 2021, the Vachsky District Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region received a statement of claim from a prosecutor acting in the interests of citizen M.V. Kotereva. The subject of the claim was a demand to the resource supplying organization to recalculate payments for hot and cold water and pay compensation for moral damage. The plaintiff motivated his claims by the fact that, due to the fault of the contractor, the deadline for checking the meters was overdue and therefore the cost of this utility service was calculated at the general tariff.
The court made a decision to refuse to satisfy the claims, citing the fact that the obligation to verify the heat exchanger measuring instruments lies not only with the contractor, but also with the consumer of such resources. The owner of the apartment, knowing that the verification interval was ending, was obliged to take care in time to prevent delays. (Decision No. 2-333/2017 ~ M-288/2017 dated December 17, 2017).
- In March 2015, the Izobilnensky District Court of the Stavropol Territory received a statement of claim from citizen A.P. Bushkovsky. to the State Unitary Enterprise SK "Stavropol Kraivodokanal" with a demand to invalidate the water debt, to allow payment for this utility service according to the meter readings and to compensate for moral damages.
The court, after listening to the arguments of both parties, decided to refuse to satisfy the claims put forward in the lawsuit. The motive was the absence of illegal actions on the part of the defendant (Decision No. 2-369/2015 ~ M-224/2015 dated 03/04/2015).
Calculation of fees for a resource, taking into account the delay
If the consumer does not take care of checking the water meter in time, then if the period has expired, the device will be considered faulty.
If the procedure was not carried out on time, then the consumer will be charged utility bills for water over a 3-month period based on average monthly consumption . This rule is fixed in paragraphs. “a” clause 59 of the government decree of May 6, 2011 number 354.
If during the specified period the consumer does not take care of checking the flow meter, then after the period has expired, payment for water will be carried out according to the standard. In this case, a multiplying factor will be applied.
Why is it necessary to check the water meter and how is it carried out?
In accordance with paragraphs. dp.34 of section V of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 6, 2011 No. 354, one of the responsibilities of consumers of utility services is to ensure periodic inspection of the water meter.
The only exceptions are those cases when the contract with the contractor stipulates that this procedure must be carried out by him.
This need is dictated by the provisions of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements”. Thus, over time, certain changes may occur in the operation of the meter, which ultimately affects the reliability of the displayed readings for hot and cold water consumption. In this regard, the main purpose of examining water metering devices is to avoid significant errors in measuring the volume of resource consumed. Why? Because it has a direct impact on the amount of water charges.
The general procedure for conducting an inspection in relation to meters is disclosed in Order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation dated July 2, 2015 No. 1815. This procedure is carried out in the following sequence:
- First of all, the owner of the premises must call the employees of an accredited organization with which he has an agreement to provide such services.
- The further course of action depends on the level of equipment of the company that checks the measuring instruments. There are two possible options:
- if technically possible, the meter will be inspected on the spot;
- If the called specialists do not have suitable equipment, the water measuring device will be removed and taken away for inspection.
It is worth noting that in the second case, the consumer must first notify the contractor about the date of removal and installation of the meter.
If during the inspection it is discovered that the meter is faulty, it will be repaired or replaced.
- After carrying out all the necessary manipulations, the specialists who verified the device will perform the following actions (clause 4 of Section I of the Order mentioned above):
- they will put a special sign on the meter itself;
- prepare an inspection certificate;
- will make a corresponding entry in the technical data sheet of the equipment.
- After completing this procedure, the apartment owner must send a copy of the inspection certificate to the contractor (management company or water utility).
The legislative framework
The verification procedure is regulated by Federal Law No. 261, 102, and 354, so it is mandatory for all home owners. It is due to the fact that meters may stop working properly due to exposure to external negative factors:
- The water is of low quality, which is why large particles and heavy metals enter the meter.
- Failure of communication systems.
- The meter is worn out and needs to be replaced.
- The mechanism dries out if there is no water supply for a long period of time.
Water meters for cold water are checked every 6 years, and for hot water - every 4 years.
