Fine for unauthorized connection to gas

When connecting gas to a private home, a prerequisite is to conclude an agreement with the gas supply organization. According to the agreement, gas workers are required to carry out maintenance of gas equipment on the consumer’s premises. And the consumer must provide access to service personnel and make payments for all resources and services on time. But let's look at the situation when you unauthorizedly (i.e. illegally) connected to gas.

What is an unauthorized connection to a gas pipeline?

Unauthorized connection should include not only unauthorized tapping into the gas main, but also connection in the event of a termination of the supply of blue fuel due to the formation of debt. The last method is quite common. Careless consumers tear off plugs and seals or make an inconspicuous cut into the pipe using the collective farm method. For these offenses, the legislation of the Russian Federation provides for various types of punishment, including criminal liability.

It is worth noting that even small changes made by yourself in the gas pipeline of a private home can lead to big problems. Any changes must be agreed with gas workers.

If a consumer is caught not having a gas consumption meter, he will be subject to a fine in the form of a fine, which is regulated by Art. 7.19 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation - unauthorized connection to gas or unmetered use.

What conditions must be met?

When connecting a private house to gas, basic conditions must be met, and if they are violated, certain penalties are also applied to the owner. These requirements include:

installation of various equipment is carried out with the obligatory drawing up of an agreement with the company that is the gas supplier;
an agreement is concluded for periodic maintenance of the house;
all operations with the equipment must be carried out only by authorized and experienced specialists;
If various malfunctions are discovered in the operation of gas equipment, then you need to promptly contact professionals to eliminate them.

If you smell gas or discover open water pipes, the owners of a private home should definitely contact specialists to eliminate the violations. If the above requirements and conditions are not met, then this is the basis for bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Consequence of unauthorized connection

It must be said that careless consumers are poorly aware of the consequences that may arise as a result of an unauthorized connection.
The most important thing is that in the worst case scenario, innocent people may suffer. After all, the risk of an unforeseen situation, such as a gas explosion, for example, is very high. In such cases, of course, it is worth talking about the criminal liability of the culprit with a real prison sentence. For this act, a term of up to 5 years is provided on the basis of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Russia - unintentional actions resulting in the death of people. But even at first glance, a less severe case in terms of consequences in the form of a “successful” unauthorized insertion can lead to a prison sentence. Article 158 part 3 paragraph b provides for punishment for theft, which entails a term of up to two years. So the application of administrative liability to offenders is the least of the consequences that can occur.

If an unauthorized connection is detected, the violator will be forced to bear costs for using gas.

The accrual is determined by the formula:

Sstart = Sgas * (P1 + P2 + P3 +…Px) * 24 * tp,

where: Sinit – amount to pay for gas use, rub; Sgas – set price for 1 m³ of gas, rub; P1, P2, P3, Pх – power of gas appliances kW; tп – time of using illegal gas, hours.

The time of gas use is illegal, taken from the moment of the last check. If there was none, then the time of use for the last six months.

For example, the illegal cost of using a gas boiler will cost about 50 thousand rubles. In addition to this amount, you will have to pay a fine, and the gas workers will cut off the gas again. All this is best case scenario if the offender manages to avoid criminal prosecution for theft.

What are the fines?

The fine for unauthorized gas connection and other actions related to gas equipment that are a violation of the law is imposed in a fairly significant amount. In this case, the owner of the structure will additionally be required to remove all installed items. After this, you will still have to contact specialists to install the necessary equipment.

The main fines that will have to be paid for illegal actions to obtain gas intended for use for domestic purposes by citizens include:

The company acting as a gas supplier will disconnect the line or charge an additional fee.
What are the penalties for connecting gas to the stove? If this process is carried out independently or by third-party specialists who do not have the necessary license and work permit, then the violator will have to pay the gas supply company 35 thousand rubles.
If you install a gas water heater yourself, then in this case the fine for gas will be equal to 45 thousand rubles. The same applies to the situation when another organization that does not have a license for this process is invited for these purposes.
Often, after disconnecting the line, people make a new connection in another part of the gas main. In this case, the fine for gas in the house is re-imposed, and its size can be significantly increased.
In addition, administrative penalties are applied to violators. For private individuals, a fine of 2 thousand rubles is imposed, but officials are required to pay an amount of 3 to 4 thousand rubles. If the violator is a company, then it will be fined 40 thousand rubles.
Individuals may even be subject to criminal liability for illegal gasification of a private home. Punishment can be imprisonment for up to two years.
If, due to the identified violations, an emergency situation arises that leads to the death of people due to a gas leak, then the owners of such houses or apartments are given more severe penalties, represented by imprisonment for a term of up to five years.

Thus, fines for gas theft, unauthorized gasification and installation of various equipment powered by this resource are truly significant and serious. Therefore, before violating the law, all people must carefully evaluate the appropriateness of the actions taken.

What is the fine for illegally connecting a private home to gas?

The fine for illegal unauthorized gas connection depends on the social status of the offender.

for individuals, the fine for illegal gas connection will be up to 2,000 rubles;
if the violation occurred from officials - 3,000 -15,000 rubles;
legal entities will pay up to 80 thousand rubles.

A repeated violation of gas theft may already result in a real prison sentence. For an individual, criminal liability carries a penalty of up to 2 years in prison. For an act committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy - up to 3 years in prison, or a fine of up to 200 thousand rubles.

P/s The fine for unauthorized connection of a gas stove or other equipment is provided for by the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

The legislation does not provide for a separate fine for unauthorized gas connection after disconnection due to debts or for illegal tapping.

The moratorium on penalties and fines is lifted

As you know, in 2021, a number of relaxations on utility bills were introduced - in particular, until January 1, 2021, the accrual of penalties and fines for late payment of utilities and contributions for major repairs was suspended.

The obligation to pay for the services themselves was not removed from citizens, but it was prohibited to charge a penalty on debts, starting from April 6 and until December 31, 2021 (GD of the Russian Federation dated 04/02/2020 No. 424).

At the moment, there have been no official statements from the government regarding a further extension of the moratorium. And judging by the alarm the Ministry of Construction is sounding due to the sharp increase in utility debts recently, it is hardly worth counting on such an extension.

Therefore, with the advent of the new year, public utilities, let’s say, have a free hand. But it is still worth checking that in their zeal they do not go beyond the law:

1) the penalty cannot be accrued “retroactively” for the period from April 6 to December 31, 2021 (even if the citizen had a debt at that time),

2) from January 1, 2021, they can charge penalties on all debts that are owed by the citizen as of this date, but the period for counting the penalty will be different:

— for debt incurred before April 6, 2021, penalties may be accrued as early as January 1, 2021,

— and for debt that arose during the moratorium period (from April 6 to December 31, 2021), penalties can be accrued only from the 31st day of delay (delay calculations are carried out from January 1, and according to the rules of Article 155 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation penalties may be accrued no earlier than the 31st day of delay).

A different approach would deprive citizens of the right to the legal 30 days to repay utility debts without penalties.

Criminal liability.

As mentioned earlier, judicial practice on gas supply provides for criminal punishment for unauthorized gas connection and incriminates this act as gas theft. As a rule, for committing an act for the first time, a citizen can get away with an administrative fine and payment for the resources spent. Repeated violation faces criminal penalties up to and including imprisonment.

If the illegal connection to gas led to any consequences, then the violator will no longer get away with an administrative fine.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The video attached below will help you understand why the amount of fines in Russia has recently increased significantly. And also figure out how cases of unauthorized connection and illegal gas withdrawal are detected and what happens for this:

After watching the following video, you can be convinced that unauthorized connection to any pipeline is an illegal and very dangerous act, for which you will have to pay, at least financially:

The use of gas equipment must be safe for the homeowner, his household and surrounding people. Therefore, for the use of faulty equipment or its untimely maintenance, fines are threatened, the amount of which and the procedure for collection are clearly prescribed in the legislation. .

But in Russia they are even tougher on people who try to act dishonestly, trying to unauthorizedly connect to pipelines or steal gas.

Would you like to supplement the above material with useful comments? Or can you share your own experience of paying fines with other users? Leave your comments, ask questions to our experts and other site visitors, participate in the discussion - the feedback form is located below the article.

Nuances of counter fraud and detection methods

There are several methods of fraud that are used by careless consumers. This is the disconnection or removal of the meter during the period of validity of the contract with the gas supply organization. As well as its partial or complete stop using magnets or other devices.

All cases are illegal and entail certain consequences. How to steal gas from a private house or how to cheat a gas meter? These issues concern future and current consumers. There are even detailed videos on the Internet. But doing this is strictly not recommended.

On the contrary, every consumer is obliged to monitor the serviceability of the gas meter and the integrity of its seal. If the seal is damaged, you must immediately contact the gas service, since it will be almost impossible to prove that the seal was damaged by accident and not by you during a scheduled visit of the gas workers. If you apply promptly, and especially if the filling was installed “the other day,” there is a high probability of getting off with a light fine of 100 to 1,000 rubles or paying only for repeated filling services.

As a rule, representatives of the gas service are quite loyal to conscientious users. According to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the fine for breaking or damaging the seal of a gas meter is provided for up to 15 thousand rubles and depends on the intentionality of the act. As mentioned earlier, in addition to the fine, the owner will pay for the use of gas according to the current standard. The calculation scheme is given above.

Fraud with distortion of gas meters, as a rule, does not lead to saving money. Methods of detection: as a result of a scheduled inspection by the gas service or with the help of requests from neighbors whose gas fees may increase significantly.

Violation of safety rules

This category is fully controlled by Article 9.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Code of Administrative Offences).

Violation of the deadlines and frequency of maintenance work of VDGO and VKGO

Persons responsible for monitoring the condition of intra-house (management companies, HOAs or private individuals) and intra-apartment gas equipment (apartment owners) may be held administratively liable in the form of a fine for failure to comply with the requirements for the quality, timing and frequency of maintenance work.

The following amounts are determined:

individuals – from 1 to 2 thousand rubles;
officials - from 5 to 20 thousand rubles;
legal entities – from 40 to 100 thousand rubles.

This is a vivid example of how not only action, but also inaction can lead to punishment. Administrative liability is also assumed for avoiding concluding a maintenance agreement with a specialized organization.

Therefore, in order to avoid fines, enter into a contract for the maintenance of VDGO on time (if you represent a management company or own a private house) or VKGO (if you own an apartment), and require the contractor to timely perform the full range of work in accordance with the law.

Denial of admission to a gas service employee

If employees of a specialized organization knock on your apartment to carry out scheduled maintenance and repair work on gas equipment, and you do not allow them into the apartment, then administrative liability is also provided in the form of a fine:

individuals – from 1 to 2 thousand rubles;
officials - from 5 to 20 thousand rubles;
legal entities – from 40 to 100 thousand rubles.

It is worth remembering that a fine is imposed only if you were previously notified of the work. If there was no notification, and the gas workers are breaking into the apartment, you have every right not to let them in. Of course, except in critical situations when there is a possibility of an explosion.

Avoidance of replacing faulty equipment

If gas equipment (for example, a stove or boiler) was found to be faulty as a result of the inspection (working intermittently or the service life of the device has expired), then you must replace them. Penalties are also established for evading this requirement:

individuals – from 1 to 2 thousand rubles;
officials - from 5 to 20 thousand rubles;
legal entities – from 40 to 100 thousand rubles.

It is definitely worth remembering that if the service life has expired, but the gas equipment works flawlessly, then after a check and with the consent of the gas service, it can be used for another year. Then it needs to be checked again.

If an accident occurs due to your fault

If, in the event of the above actions or inactions, an accident occurs or a threat to human health arises, then all fines will increase multiple:

individuals – from 10 to 30 thousand rubles;
officials - from 50 to 100 thousand rubles;
legal entities – from 100 to 400 thousand rubles.

In addition, you will also be required to provide financial compensation to all victims of the tragedy.

IMPORTANT!

Do not allow such precedents to happen; treat the condition of your gas equipment with full responsibility! The danger is not in fines, but in the threat to your health and those around you, remember this!

Repeated violation

For repeated administrative violations, fines also increase:

individuals – from 2 to 5 thousand rubles;
officials - from 10 to 40 thousand rubles or disqualification for military service from one to three years;
legal entities – from 100 to 400 thousand rubles or suspension of activities for up to 90 days.

It is also worth remembering that punishment can be for several articles at once, so the fines will simply be summed up.

Is it possible to pipe gas into an unregistered house?

This question worries many owners who are planning to build their own home. This applies to those future buildings that are located in close proximity to the gas pipeline. After all, carrying gas expands the possibilities. This applies to finishing work in the winter and the constant availability of hot water. Law No. 69 - Federal Law states that it is allowed to connect capital construction projects to the gas network, including private houses that have been put into operation. That is, it is possible to supply gas to a site without a house or to a non-residential premises at the construction stage. But the connection should be made only after commissioning and completion of the relevant documentation.

The concept of illegal tapping

Many owners of private houses want to save on utilities, for which they prefer to connect to the gas mains themselves, so they do not draw up an agreement with the gas service. In this case, a fine is imposed for illegal gas tapping, and this penalty is applied in situations:

connection to the gas main without first signing an agreement with the gas supply company;
implementation of installation independently or with the involvement of third-party companies or persons who do not have the necessary authority, and often the knowledge, to complete this work correctly and in the required time frame;
connecting a neighbor to the highway without notifying him of this fact, as well as hiding information from the company that provides the resource.

Most often, such violations occur during the gasification of a private house, when the owners of the building try to save on the costs necessary to use various communications.

How to connect the gas supply correctly

The first thing that needs to be done is to decide on a service company that will take responsibility for the gas supply of a private home. Next, an agreement is drawn up, which spells out all the necessary points related to the direct gasification of the house, the connection of a gas water heater, gas boiler, stove, etc., and equipment maintenance. The time for gas company employees to visit the site is set. Afterwards, an estimate is drawn up, signed by the customer and payment for the work is made. Based on the results of the services performed, the owner accepts the work and signs the act.

Read on the topic: Do you need a situation plan for connecting gas?

The final release of gas into the house is carried out only when it is put into operation.

It will not be possible to connect an unregistered house to gas without registration according to the appropriate legal procedure.

Legislative regulation

Gasification of a private home, as well as the installation of various equipment powered by gas, can be carried out exclusively on the basis of special regulations. The main document for this is Government Decree PF No. 549, which describes the procedure for gas supply to meet the needs of citizens.

The main provisions of this PP include:

gasification of a private house or apartment building is a complex procedure that must be carried out exclusively by experienced specialists who are employees of the gas service, and the owners of the buildings must pay for these services based on established tariffs;
Gas equipment must be regularly serviced, and building owners cannot refuse these services, otherwise a significant fine for gas will be imposed, since the provisions of the law are violated;
gas equipment can only be installed, dismantled or moved by competent professionals, and this applies even to a standard household appliance represented by a gas stove;
if the rules of the PP are not followed, then fines for gas are provided, paid by the owners of houses or apartments in the building, and they increase if there is evidence of theft of this resource, and if unlawful actions harm the life and health of other citizens, then even criminal liability is applied.

Therefore, the use of gas and equipment should only be carried out under the supervision of competent and experienced personnel.

Illegal gas disconnection

Today, the work of gas services cannot be called ideal. If you look at various situations related to gas supply, you can see that gas workers act differently in different situations. For example, they can turn off the gas if you fail to pay for 2 months. They may not turn off for six months, or even more than one year. Another reason at the discretion of the gas service is late submission of meter readings or, in the opinion of gas workers, the owner has not lived in the apartment or house for a long time and does not use gas. In real life, there are cases of illegal gas shutdown in an apartment or private house by gas companies.

The reasons for this may be:

failure to transmit meter readings to Regiongas for several months in a row;
malfunction of gas equipment invented by gas workers;
rare appearance of the customer with whom the contract was concluded at the place of use of gas appliances;
inappropriate methods of warning gas workers about a possible outage.

The latter includes cases where the gas company sends a notification to the customer about a possible interruption of gas supply using a registered letter. Without waiting for notification of receipt of this letter, it disconnects unilaterally. If a claim is filed in court by a victim of an illegal gas shutoff due to the lack of confirmed notification, the court often sides with the plaintiff, but not always. Therefore, if such a situation arises, it is necessary to select a competent lawyer.

Is it possible to appeal?

An appeal is possible through higher gas services. If this does not help, then you should contact the court, prosecutor's office or Rospotrebnadzor.

Near a residential building

The court is the final authority in which all conflicts are resolved, so people turn to it when other options do not help. In 2019–2020, inspections of houses and apartments were tightened, so few people manage to avoid punishment and only with strong evidence of innocence and with the help of a good lawyer.

How to avoid punishment

The only way to avoid liability for unauthorized connection to gas is to legalize your own connection to the gas pipeline. This can be done as follows:

you need to contact a design bureau specializing in the gas industry and obtain a certificate of conformity for your own (illegal) project;
contact Regiongaz to check previously performed work for compliance with all safety standards;
pay the state fee and penalties (the amount of the penalty fee is calculated after the check assigned when submitting the application);
if everything is done correctly, the applicant will receive the necessary permission from the gas workers and the tie-in will be legalized.

Summing up, we can confidently say that connecting to a gas pipeline and using gas equipment should be carried out according to the letter of the law. Even unauthorized connection of a gas stove in an apartment, and this is usually just connecting a hose, can lead to serious problems. You should not chase dubious savings when accounting for gas consumption using counter manipulation. A small benefit can lead to serious costs and legal trouble.

We recommend: How to supply gas to a dacha and How to save gas in a private home

Punishment for stealing gas from neighbors

Often, owners of private or dacha plots do not want to pay for gas themselves, so they connect to a pipeline running on a neighboring plot. This allows them to use unaccounted for gas that their neighbors pay for.

If such a violation is detected, gas service employees go to the site to check the correct connection and make sure that gas is being used illegally. The culprit is assigned an amount equal to the damage caused. Additionally, its structure is disconnected from gas.

If citizens themselves discover that their neighbors have connected to their gas pipeline, they are not allowed to install plugs, as this is also considered a violation, so they can also be held accountable by gas service workers.