An uninterrupted supply of electricity is considered an important condition for creating prosperous living conditions. This is important for both residential buildings and industrial organizations.
The fact is that a power outage can cause serious losses for a business . That is why it is worth thinking about in which cases a shutdown is legal, planned, and in which it is not. If the situation is emergency, then you need to find out how long the power supply may be interrupted.
Shutdown standards
Today there are certain standards that regulate the specifics of power outages and determine time intervals. In particular, this is the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 442 “On the functioning of retail markets for electrical energy, complete and (or) partial restrictions on the consumption of electrical energy.”
In connection with this resolution, restrictions are introduced:
- if the consumer has violated the terms specified in the agreement, these may be financial obligations, unauthorized connection to the network;
- by mutual decision;
- due to renovation work;
- by decision of Rospotrebnadzor;
- due to breakdown or emergency.
Suppliers must provide notice when the lights are turned on and when they are turned off. This applies to situations where the work is planned.
Announcements of such outages due to repair work must be distributed no later than 10 days before the power is turned off . They should contain information about the shutdown, the timing of when the power will be turned on, and the basis for the shutdown.
ATTENTION! All existing regulations regarding power outages during scheduled repairs must be specified in the agreement between the consumer and the supplier.
How to write a paper complaint?
In the header you indicate your full name, contact details of the registration address and actual and other contact details.
The application is written to the prosecutor of your city (district).
In the title you write: complaint about violation of the Rules for the provision of utility services.
Describe the situation in any form.
What documents should I attach to the complaint?
Attach to the application the text of the complaint with the collected signatures of the neighbors and (or) the Act of Violations with the signatures of the commission members (if any). Leave the originals for the court.
Sample complaint to the prosecutor's office about a power outage.
What are the paper feeding methods?
You send a paper application to the prosecutor's office in a simple letter, which you drop in the mailbox.
It is sent to other authorities by registered mail with notification or brought in person and handed over to the secretary of the institution against signature.
Institutions for receiving complaints
- Energy supply company.
- The higher-level organization of the energy company (founder).
- City (district) administration.
- City (district) prosecutor's office.
- World Court, your territorial area.
On our website you can find out how to draw up a notice and an act on turning off electricity for debts, what to do if the lights are turned off on this basis, as well as what fines are provided for unauthorized connection to the power grid.
Official dates
It is important to consider how many constantly switched on consumers use electricity. According to the law, energy consumers are divided into three categories.
Depending on this, the periods for which the shutdown can be carried out are determined. So, if the consumer belongs to categories 1 or 2, then the shutdown period will depend on the conditions specified in the contract, the features of the electricity scheme, the availability of additional power sources, if it is turned off by law .
The standards say that consumers belonging to reliability category 3 cannot remain without power supply for longer than a certain period. The maximum time for which the lights can be turned off is 72 hours per year, and consumers cannot be left without electricity for more than 24 hours at a time. The exception is situations when an emergency shutdown occurs or repair work is carried out.
Category 3 is the majority of consumers, in particular apartment buildings and the private sector . For how long they can be turned off, the reasons for the lack of light can be found out from the manager, they should know about possible problems and accidents. Please note that the length of time the lights may be turned off does not vary depending on the time of year.
What to do if there is no electricity?
If the electricity has been turned off for non-payment, there are several ways to solve this problem. Some methods can result in hefty fines, but there are also those that will help deal with temporary difficulties legally. Solutions could be like this:
- It is possible to temporarily connect electricity from a neighbor’s apartment, if he, of course, agrees to this. In panel high-rise buildings between adjacent apartments, sockets are installed opposite each other. If you remove the socket from your apartment, you can make a jumper, thanks to which light will appear in the apartment. The neighbor will have to pay for such a service, and when the debt problem is resolved and the electrician comes to connect the light, the jumper will need to be removed.
- You can also negotiate with your neighbor and extend an extension cord from his outlet to connect your electrical appliances. But here you will also have to thank him, because he will have to pay for the electricity that is consumed by the devices from the neighboring apartment.
- If a power outage occurs in a private home, then in this case you can use a mobile power station. Its price is high, but it can also help out in those moments when the lights are turned off during repair work.
- Solar panels will help solve the problem with electricity in the country or in the private sector.
Climbing into the electrical panel and independently connecting the wires to a meter that is sealed is not only dangerous, but also illegal. Such an act is regarded as theft and is punishable by considerable fines. In addition, working with live wiring is dangerous, so it is better to deal with the debt.
Outlaw
Many residents are concerned about how to find out whether the shutdown is legal or not, how long the work will take place, and why the power was turned off.
There are also situations when, even during repair work, disconnection is illegal. The illegality of disconnection can only be proven in court.
People have the right to take legal action, which may result in the provider being subject to criminal liability. This happens when there is a supply interruption and the consumer suffers property damage.
It is worth considering situations when electricity is turned off illegally:
- The shutdown lasted more than a day.
- There is no justification for the shutdown.
- Power went out for more than 72 hours throughout the year.
- The shutdown occurred by mistake.
- Shutdown before holidays, unless it was an emergency.
If you are concerned about what is often disconnected, where to complain, what to do if the disconnection was illegal, then the best solution would be to go to a lawyer. Experts will tell you about the rules, tell you how to get your filing restored, and help you prepare documents for going to court.
ATTENTION! If the disconnection was made due to debt, then after payment the supply must be restored within 24 hours. If the energy supplying organization has not done this, then you can contact the judicial authorities.
The reply is in process
The energy supply must be restored by the supplier two days after the debt has been fully repaid and (or) other causes that led to the outage have been eliminated.
In practice, this procedure takes from three days to a week in different regions.
Where payment is made according to the average, and not according to meter data, it begins from the moment of presentation of documents on debt repayment, and not from the actual connection. It is useless to argue with the state on this issue.
The government agencies you contact are required to give you a written response within a month. When applying via the Internet, the response will be given electronically.
Why might they stop supplying?
An agreement is concluded between the supplier and the consumer that governs all relations between them, including whether they should be warned about a planned outage. There are several ways to sign this agreement:
- unilateral signing of an agreement;
- bilateral signing of an agreement.
These agreements are legal if all conditions are met by the energy supplier and the user. If we consider the bodies that exercise control over the fulfillment of these obligations, then these are local authorities.
Legislation regulates various issues, for example, emergency short-term power outages. You need to understand that if the user does not fulfill his obligations, the supplier may turn off the power.
Supplier liability
The supplier bears administrative responsibility for supply failures and breakdowns. Many consumers are interested in what rights they have. In case of malfunctions or damage, consumers can demand moral as well as material compensation.
If the conditions are violated by the supplier, the organization must compensate the consumer for damages and also pay a fine. The law states that the supplier must compensate people for equipment and devices that are out of order.
IMPORTANT! If the lights are turned off, the appliances break down because of this, but the supplier refuses to pay, then you should contact the local authorities.
Emergency or planned
Emergency shutdown occurs due to technical reasons, as a result of emergency situations. In this case, the light will be turned off without warning. It is clear that a prolonged power outage can cause significant damage. That is why every consumer should take into account the following information:
- The reasons why the emergency occurred, as well as the nature of the breakdown.
- Time frame within which the power supply will be restored.
- What to do if the repair time exceeds the norm.
During emergency repair work, shutdowns occur due to emergency situations. If it is possible to connect reserve power, the supplier usually uses it. A planned shutdown occurs if the repair work was planned; in this case, the electricians work according to a pre-thought-out scenario.
It doesn’t matter whether the outage occurs in winter or summer, the organization must warn people about the outage in advance . Today, a variety of notification methods can be used:
- by calling a phone;
- letter by email;
- personally;
- through the media.
In what cases the light cannot be turned off even for debtors
There are cases when it is strictly forbidden to turn off the electricity. For example, if a house is heated by a boiler powered by electrical energy, interrupting the supply of the resource is strictly prohibited.
It is prohibited to turn off power if such actions will lead to an accident. Actions to stop the supply of resources must be carried out by qualified workers who have a specialization document. The connection points are tightly insulated.
Important! In case of accidents at the station or natural disasters, the supply of electricity may be suspended without prior notice. The service restoration period is unlimited.
Accident elimination standard
No more than 24 hours should pass before the lights are turned back on .
You also need to remember about the annual limit; it should not exceed 72 hours. It is very rare that there are situations where longer delays occur; they depend on the extent of the damage. But even in such situations, repair work must be carried out within a reasonable time. Otherwise, the supplier will bear administrative or criminal liability.
If the organization violates all deadlines and does not fulfill all of its obligations that are specified in the agreement, then the residents have every right to defend themselves. To find out the specifics of the situation, the reasons for the breakdown, or interruption of power supply, you can contact the HOA, as well as directly to the supplier.
ATTENTION! If necessary, you can call the dispatcher and tell about the violation and write a corresponding complaint. Even if the claims are ignored or remain unattended, then you need to go to court.
Please note that the statement of claim must contain all the necessary data:
- the name of the organization that supplies energy;
- date of suspension of filing;
- the exact date of the emergency;
- acts, inspections available on hand;
- state of energy supply;
- witness evidence;
- written refusals from officials.
