What do utilities mean? In a communal apartment. Contract for the provision of utilities

Utility payments are a fairly pressing topic that interests almost all individuals. In this regard, this article will discuss what is included in housing and communal services, as well as how citizens of the Russian Federation can pay for them. In addition, each of the methods by which you can transfer funds for the use of a particular utility service will be separately considered.

Public utilities

Every person has heard at least once in his life about such a concept as housing and communal services, but not everyone fully understands what this term means. All services the provision of which is necessary for a consumer living in a residential building, apartment or separate room for his comfortable stay are called utilities. Any isolated property, the condition of which is considered suitable for long-term human habitation, belongs to the category of residential properties and can act as a consumer of utilities.

Attention! All issues related to the procedure for the provision and use of utility services, as well as the timing and methods of payment, and many other nuances, are regulated by such a legislative source as the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.

What is included in this list

Utilities is a fairly broad term. In this regard, we propose to understand what exactly is included in this concept. Depending on the specific property in which an individual lives, he will use and pay for one or another package of utility services. The exact composition of these services is directly related to the improvement of a residential building. However, it must be remembered that garbage removal should not be included in this list in any case. The main types of housing and communal services, without which comfortable living for individuals is impossible, include the following:

Payment of utility bills

Some individuals pay for housing services all their lives using the same method and do not even realize that this can be done much easier and faster. In this regard, we propose to consider a list of all the ways in which you can transfer funds for the use of water or gas resources, as well as electricity:

1. Payment via mail. This method is popular among pensioners who are accustomed to making all payments not electronically, but using cash. You can pay for the use of utilities in this way by visiting one of the branches of a state company such as Russian Post. This organization is the operator of the state postal network. In addition, payments can also be made through banks.
2. Payment by ATM/terminal. In the twenty-first century, there are ATMs at almost every step. Some individuals are mistaken in thinking that an ATM is a device intended only for automated withdrawal of funds. Using this device, you can also transfer funds, even if the individual does not have a bank card. In addition to ATMs, you can pay for housing and communal services using a terminal, which is designed for making a variety of payments by individuals. However, this will need to be done manually, in self-service mode.
3. Payments through the portal. The least common way to pay for the use of gas, water and electricity is the city services portal, which is an Internet resource containing various reference information. With the help of this site, people who are users of public services have the opportunity to receive all the information they are interested in on this topic in electronic form.

The second of the above payment methods is good because, since every individual has used an ATM or terminal at least once in his life, transferring money for water supply, gas and electricity will be quite easy and quick. However, these devices usually charge a certain commission percentage of the amount transferred by the individual. In addition, in some cases you will need to stand in line, and if there is no exact amount that is required to be paid, then you can’t count on receiving change.

The method of transferring funds for housing and communal services, which has the greatest number of advantages, is payment using the Internet portal. The most important advantage of this method is that individuals do not even need to leave their home, and they can use a service of this nature at any time of the day. No interest is charged for transferring funds. However, for some citizens of the Russian Federation, using the portal seems at first glance to be a difficult and insufficiently reliable option. This opinion is erroneous, since the site is quite easy to use. The main thing is to go through all stages of registration and not miss any important details.

It should be noted that in order to make payments of this kind with the help of a bank, it is not at all necessary to come to the appropriate organization. In 2019, individuals are given the opportunity to make payments using online banking.

All citizens, without exception, face them in one way or another. How justified are the amounts that companies have to pay for services? What are the legal ways to reduce payments? How do you pay?

Regulatory regulation

The Housing Code is the foundation of all legislation regulating the housing sector.

Government Decree No. 354 of 2011 addresses many issues regarding the conclusion and execution of contracts for the provision of housing and communal services. It is this document that explains what applies to public services.

There are also regulations on individual public services, which partly overlap with PP No. 354.

It is also important to be guided by a number of regulations on the maintenance of an apartment building and the surrounding area. In particular, they provide a minimum list of services that must be provided.

A significant volume is represented by regulations issued at the regional level regulating the activities of housing and communal services organizations.

What is the problem

Understanding what applies to housing and communal services is important, since companies are constantly striving to extract maximum profit from their relationships with consumers and constantly violate the law.

It’s easier for those owners who have organized an HOA or other legal entity to interact with service providers and provide some of them on their own.

It should be noted that depending on the circumstances, the list of services provided varies. For example, not every home needs a centralized gas supply or basement cleaning.

A little about terminology

We are used to calling a service a particular type of resource - water, gas, electricity, heating. In regulations, public services are understood as the activities of organizations or individual entrepreneurs aimed at creating comfortable living conditions. There is a difference in which of them relate to public services and which to housing. In conversations they are combined into a single complex.

There are different approaches to grouping services; in Russia today, the approaches developed in Soviet times are preserved. In some CIS countries, a different approach is used, combining all services into one complex at the legislative level.

What applies to utilities?

This is, first of all:

• Supply of homeowners with cold water. Requirements for the service are minimal. In addition to the quality of water provided by other services, the obligation lies in the continuity of supply. Centralized supply systems organized for a specific house are provided. Speakers are also being practiced.
• Hot water supply. It is provided using a centralized system or also built for a specific house. Despite the increasing use of boilers, the service is still provided.

• Diversion is an integral element of an apartment building. The service is provided exclusively by connecting to a centralized sewer system.
• Electricity in homes today has become the norm, and management organizations are obliged to provide conditions for uninterrupted access to it. At the same time, they are required to provide protection against accidents in the home’s power system.
• Gas supply. It is supplied through centralized supply systems, or citizens purchase it in cylinders. There are legal restrictions on the use of bottled gas in homes above a certain limit.
• Heating is organized mainly through centralized systems and makes up a significant part of the service fee. Payment is made throughout the year or exclusively in cold weather. In both cases, the direct provision of services is carried out in cold weather. On and off dates are determined by local authorities.
• Removal of municipal solid waste is what was previously called household waste.

This is a list of what is related to public services.

Home maintenance

The provision of these types of services is regulated differently. In addition, home owners have the right to choose a certain set of services, thereby significantly increasing or decreasing the amount of monthly payments.

Housing services are combined in the maintenance of the house and surrounding area. A separate voluminous government decree No. 451 of 2006 is devoted to them.

The document describes the minimum level of work that must be carried out to keep the house in a condition that is safe for its occupants.

All non-residential and other premises, networks, and other equipment must be in proper condition.

Measures to save the house

Here is what applies to housing and communal services in this case:

• Inspection of the common property of the residents of the house in order to identify non-compliance with standards. It is carried out by employees of the management organization or one of the residents together with employees of the HOA.
• Inspection and inspection of systems providing residents with utilities (electricity networks, water supply and sewerage elements).
• Maintaining the temperature regime in the entrances in accordance with the standards.
• Cleaning entrances and other premises and
• Garbage removal. For this purpose, the management organization is obliged to equip a place for the collection and storage of solid municipal waste. A separate place is provided for the collection and storage of waste that poses a hazard (for example, lamps with mercury elements).
• Preservation and care of landscaping elements.

Responsibility of the residents of the house

What services are not considered housing and communal services? There are works that are not the direct activity of management organizations, and residents of the house are required to perform them independently:

• repair of doors, windows and premises that are not residential and not included in the list of common property;
• insulation of windows and repair of doors in apartments;
• cleaning and cleaning of areas not related to the local area.

Waste collection

A number of changes have been made to the legislation regarding the removal of household waste. As before, garbage removal was a separate service. Now it is called a little differently - municipal solid waste management. This includes waste that does not require special measures for its collection and storage. For example, leftover food, bags.

Waste that is classified as highly hazardous must be collected in another, separate place. This includes televisions, complex devices, etc.

Minimum set value

With its help, the house is kept in good condition. There is no risk of its destruction or threat to the life and health of those who live there.

Management organizations and owners should not agree on a smaller range of services and works. Residents of the house have the right to order a large volume of services from the list proposed by the contractor. It must be said that companies do not provide them on their own, but by attracting third organizations.

Quality of service provision

The main properties of public services include their ability to provide comfortable living in a residential area. However, the question is often raised not so much about comfort as about the safety of people.

Services are required to be provided according to standards that determine their quality. If the standards are not met, then the quality decreases, and people have the right to demand a reduction in fees. Lack of service gives the right not to pay.

For management companies, systematic violations mean lost money that stops paying them, and the risk of losing a license.

Service costs

Payment for services is made according to the size of the area available in the property, multiplied by the amount of the tariff. The price is calculated based on the services provided. Management organizations are required to submit a proposal to the department of economics of a city or district to set a tariff for each house individually. But this applies to housing services. Public utilities. What expenses are they?

Firstly, each apartment owner pays personally for the consumption by him and his members. Secondly, part of it is spent on general needs, for example, lighting of common premises (entrances). For them, charges are made based on the readings of public meters, and payment is made at different tariffs.

Housing renovation

Everyone understands what current repairs are - employees of the management organization update or change equipment, eliminate breakdowns and accidents. This does not affect the structural elements of the house.

In this regard, the question arises: does major repairs count as public services?

Strictly speaking, no. The corresponding provisions in the LC are highlighted in a separate chapter. However, owners are required to pay fees in the same way they pay for services.

According to the law, major repairs include the repair of a whole list of elements (Article 166 of the Housing Code). Regional authorities have the right to supplement it. As part of this, the building may be reconstructed. How should citizens behave?

The only option left is to form a fund by making payments to a separate account, rather than paying money to the regional operator.

Invoicing

It is made on the basis of a receipt that is sent to the owner. It is easier for residents of individual houses: they do not pay for a number of services at all, since they are not provided with them. Another advantage is the right to pay for services directly. A resident of an apartment building is faced with the obligation to pay for all services on a single receipt, some of which are of poor quality or are not provided.

And the question arises: what payments relate to utility services? This includes funds:

• for hot and cold water;
• to pay for electricity;
• to pay for heating;
• to pay for gas consumed.

A separate line is the maintenance of the house and the adjacent territory, defined as a local area.

A single receipt is characterized by abbreviations and abbreviations, which makes it difficult to understand the numbers included in it.

The receipt contains information about the subsidies allocated to the citizen, about recalculation if there were previously overpayments.

Payment scheme

Paying for everything related to housing and communal services is one of the responsibilities of citizens. Payment is organized using mail and cash registers. Today, electronic payment systems are becoming increasingly popular. Their use is convenient, but one caveat should be taken into account. The length of time the money actually reaches the supplier. The transfer may take up to two weeks. Debiting from a person’s account occurs instantly, the rest of the time is spent waiting.

Finally

To ensure a comfortable and safe stay, measures are taken to provide the necessary services. Some of them are called communal (for example, water or light) and are consumed directly by humans. The second are housing and concern, first of all, the safety of the house.

In judicial practice and communication, the two concepts are confused. In addition, the laws provide for the obligation to pay contributions for future major repairs. It is not directly included in the list of utility services, but payers have no choice.

A detailed list of persons for whom it will be mandatory to make payments for housing and communal services can be found in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.

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The main payers are:

• residential tenants;
• tenants of residential real estate;
• citizens using an apartment in accordance with the lease agreement;
• members of residential cooperatives;
• citizens who own living space by right of ownership.

Payments for housing and communal services will be charged only to those persons who are officially registered in a house or apartment, with the exception of cases where a citizen living in a property temporarily or for other reasons has not been registered, takes the initiative to pay for utilities. In this case, it is recommended to conclude an agreement that will officially confirm the fact that a person has paid for housing and communal services.

Payers of this payment can be both individuals and legal entities, as well as individual entrepreneurs.

Legal regulation

The main document regulating many of the nuances on this issue is dated May 6, 2011. Information on utility bills is also contained in Order No. 234 adopted by the Russian government on June 26, 2013.

Services cover:

Provision of residential premises for use under a social tenancy agreement or a rental agreement for residential premises of the state or municipal housing stock;

Major repairs of common property in an apartment building for homeowners;

Removal of solid household waste;

Removal of liquid household waste from apartment buildings..."

Source:

Order of Rosstat dated July 23, 2009 N 147 “On approval of the Instructions for filling out the indicator “” in federal statistical observation forms

Official terminology. Akademik.ru. 2012.

See what “Housing services” are in other dictionaries:

Housing legal relations- (see: Contents of housing legal relations) a general, generic concept that covers various types of relations arising regarding housing: ownership, use and disposal of residential premises, provision of residential premises to those in need... ... Housing Encyclopedia

SERVICES IN THE WORLD MARKET- services entering the external market, that is, use values ​​that primarily do not acquire a materialized form. They form a global market for services, which breaks down into narrower markets: licenses and know-how, engineering... ... Large economic dictionary

Housing and communal services- these are services delivered to consumers living in housing stock to ensure comfortable living conditions. Contents 1 General 2 Provision of services ... Wikipedia

MUTUAL HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS- MUTUAL HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS MHAs Non-profit organizations that are created and supported by cooperatives. The idea of ​​such associations originated in Europe, and in the United States, two types developed after 1979. The first type includes... ... Encyclopedia of Banking and Finance

AUSTRALIA- (Australia) General information The official name is The Commonwealth of Australia. It is located on the continent of A., the island of Tasmania and a number of small coastal islands. Area 7,692,024 km2 (including the island of Tasmania, 68,400 km2). By… … Encyclopedia of countries of the world

Income- (Income) The concept of income, types of income, income of the organization Information about the concept of income, types of income, income of the organization, tax income Contents Contents What is Real National profit Types of benefits Real profit Nominal ... ... Investor Encyclopedia

- (HOUSEHOLD) a collection of persons living in one residential building or part thereof, both related and unrelated, jointly providing themselves with everything necessary for life, fully or partially pooling and spending their funds.… … Official terminology

Honorary citizens of Izhevsk- This is an article about the title awarded to residents of the city of Izhevsk, about persons awarded the class title “Honorary Citizen of the Izhevsk Plant”, see here. Breast badge of the Honorary Citizen of the city of Izhevsk Honorary Citizen of Izhevsk distinctive title ... Wikipedia

HOUSEHOLD Glossary of terms on social statistics

HOUSEHOLD- a small group of people living in the same dwelling, pooling part or all of their income and assets and consuming certain types of products and services together, mainly housing services and food... Social statistics. Dictionary

Books

• , A. N. Ryakhovskaya, F. G. Tagi-Zade. Current issues of pricing for housing and utilities are considered. The tariff policy of the former USSR, based on command principles of economic management, has been studied, its... Buy for 594 UAH (Ukraine only)
• Tariff and pricing policy in the housing and utilities sectors, Ryakhovskaya A., Tagi-Zade F.. Current issues of pricing for housing and utilities services are considered. The tariff policy of the former USSR, based on command principles of economic management, its...

Activities to create comfortable living conditions for the population of apartment buildings and other buildings (water supply, wastewater disposal, supply of electricity, gas and heating) are housing and communal services. What is included in their list and what requirements they must meet is vital information for consumers.

New rules

In 2012, new rules related to the provision of services in the public utilities sector were introduced. The Decree on the procedure for their provision provides a precise definition of public utilities (CS). The executors of the CG are legal entities or individual entrepreneurs. They acquire resources, carry out work and are responsible for the serviceability of all intra-house communications. Residents of apartment buildings and other residential buildings are faced with a number of conditions spelled out in Section 2 of the new rules. You have the right to use CU:

• owners of residential premises together with their families;
• persons who received housing from a cooperative organization;
• tenants of premises;
• persons who have rented an apartment or room.

What is included in the concept of “utilities”? These are the following benefits: electricity, drainage, access to hot and cold water and others. According to the rules, they are supplied continuously, and heating is provided around the clock during the season. In residential complexes, accidents and irregular supply of heat or water are possible, but within the framework of strictly regulated standards related to the quality of the heating system.

What is included in the list of utilities?

Services included in the list of utilities are presented in the table below.

The list of what is included in utilities depends on the level of comfort of the house. If a sewerage system is not installed in a residential premises, then it should not be counted as a utility service.

Housing services

Any consumer, studying receipts for accommodation, pays attention to consumable items related to general household needs. These are housing services. What is included in the utility costs for this area? What does the consumer pay for? Residents of apartments, unlike residents of private houses, pay the following expenses arising from the maintenance of property that is public:

1. Lighting, maintaining optimal temperature according to legal rules.
2. Cleaning, cleaning, creating sanitation for public areas and areas within the house.
3. Costs of waste discharge and transportation (solid, liquid). Organizations and entrepreneurs located in a residential building are also required to pay these expenses.
4. Fire safety.
5. Maintenance of landscaping and landscaping of the land, which is part of the property of the house.
6. Repair costs (capital and current).
7. Activities to prepare for seasonal use of the house.
8. Costs of maintaining public property.
9. Inspection activities for common areas.

About the provision of utility serviceson power supply

According to the rules that came into force back in 2012, the changes affected the order of power supply. In some cases, enterprises that supply electricity to homes may be executors of utility services. What is included in electricity utilities?

Firstly, resource supplying organizations are not obliged to maintain the internal electrical system and are not responsible for the level of its quality inside the house. Secondly, they are responsible only for the proper provision of services up to the boundaries separating the elements of the system.

The new requirements include the right of the consumer to take readings every month from the 23rd to the 25th and transfer them to the energy sales organization by the 26th of the same month. If the data has not been received, Energosbyt has the right to calculate the volume of consumption according to the standards. The consumer must give Energosbyt representatives the opportunity to check the condition of the devices and the accuracy of the data.

Everyone knows that touching seals, removing meters, interfering with their operation so that the meter does not “wind” is prohibited. Such actions will lead to the fact that the payment will increase significantly: they will charge “kulibin” taking into account the power of the devices for their round-the-clock operation for all residents.

The changes also affected the procedure for calculating the volume of provided household electricity. It is paid separately as part of the CU, monthly. So, if you are on vacation, do not live in an apartment, or are absent for other reasons, then you are still required to pay for the general household electricity consumption during this time. The volume of common house utilities is calculated and divided among residents, taking into account the space occupied by each. In the absence of a common house meter, the calculation is made on the basis of standards. They are different for each region, but are developed according to a general methodology. In addition, the organization that supplies light has the right to turn it off for a tenant who is in debt for three months of consumption. The absence of a counter will not play any role in this case.

New standards

In 2013, changes were approved regarding the rules for the provision of corporate governance. What is included in the concept of "utility fees"? How is it calculated under the new rules? Payment for utilities (except for heating) is divided into personal and general house and is signed separately on the receipt.

The innovations also affected standard coefficients. They should “encourage” the population of apartment buildings to install individual meters. For those who have the technical ability to supply devices that keep house-wide and individual records, but have not done so, increased standards have been introduced for all types of utilities. For example, after the new year, payment increased by 10%, six months later - by another 10%, and so on until the excess reaches 60%! As a result, those who do not install meters will have to pay in two years 60% more than those who did.

The advantage in this situation is that this overpayment for the utilities should be spent by the management organization on energy saving and increasing the efficiency of power systems. A question arises regarding the president’s demand not to allow the cost of corporate capital to increase above 6% per year. How will this instruction be implemented for those living in apartments and houses without meters?

Payment procedure for communal housing utilities

The new Rules for the provision of utility services contain a modified formula for calculating heating standards. In the old version, the total consumption of thermal energy was divided into the total squares of premises (residential + non-residential + public). In the new version, they are divided into total squares of residential and non-residential premises without common areas. Thus, the standard has increased.

I am glad that residents have been waived from paying for common heating costs. Now residents will not have to pay for heating the entrance where there are no radiators. Water management and drainage systems have also been excluded from general house standards: you will not have to pay for the drainage of water that was used to water the lawns. The new rules for the provision of utility services propose to calculate the general house metering of hot and cold water taking into account the norms: 90 liters per person per month.

Organizations managing utility companies are now motivated to reduce general house losses. The volume of services provided must be within the standard; if it is still exceeded, then the difference is paid by the management company itself, and not by consumers. The exception is houses where at a meeting of owners it was decided to divide the excess between residents. If the CG performer is not a company, but a resource supplier, then the difference is divided between consumers, taking into account the space they own.

How to establish the fact of improper provision of CG?

What to do if there are no light bulbs in the entrance for several days or the window panes are broken? If the CG is provided of poor quality, and there is no way to call the contractor or he does not respond, then the consumer can establish the fact of a violation of his rights. The tenant draws up an act with the participation of two neighbors and the chairman of the HOA (house council). The period of improper provision of corporate governance will be counted from the moment the act is signed (an example is given below).

What to do if utility services do not organize cleaning of the local area for months or do not carry out repair work in the entrances? After all, these are also utilities. What is included in measures to protect the rights of tenants?

1. Preparation of a collective claim with the full name, address and signature of all residents addressed to the management company. The main requirement is to eliminate service deficiencies within a reasonable period.
2. Personal and written appeal to the Housing and Communal Services Department of the city or district. List in writing the shortcomings in the provision of utility services and ask that measures be taken to eliminate them, and bring those responsible to justice.
3. If the first and second steps do not produce results, file a claim in court.

Contract for the provision of utilities

CG are provided under a paid written agreement with provisions on the procedure for their provision according to the new rules. It must take into account the provisions of the Rules and contain the necessary conditions regulating public services. What is included in the contract, what is the procedure for its conclusion?

The organization providing CG has the right to conclude a written agreement if the tenant is already using CG or intends to consume them. An agreement with provisions for the provision of services when these actions are performed by the consumer is considered concluded. The rules establish a period within which the contractor must provide services and demand payment.

For any form of ownership, the management organization must provide the necessary utilities and cannot refuse residents to include in their contractual obligations the provision of services that the level of improvement of the house allows them to provide.

For employers and tenants, a rental or lease agreement is drawn up. If a written contract does not comply with these innovations, then it is still considered that it was concluded in accordance with the new requirements and taking into account all their conditions. If the consumer does not have a contract on paper, the management organization or supplier does not have the right to refuse to provide services to him.

Six ways to reduce your rent

How to find out what is included in public services and where to go to protect your rights? With a few steps you can reduce utility costs and influence utility companies:

1. Formally requesting your rates by line item will help you see what your utilities include, what you have to pay for, and what services you're not receiving in full.
2. To draw up an act for services not provided within a month, you need to invite an employee of the housing cooperative of your management company to visit you. The act must be prepared by the 20th of the current month.
3. Together with a housing cooperative employee (or without him), draw up a claim act. Collect signatures from residents (the more, the better).
4. In the first days of the month, submit an application to the housing cooperative for recalculation of payment for the utility bill; the acts must be attached.
5. If utility companies refuse to recalculate, file a complaint with the consumer protection department of the region, region, or the city housing and communal services department.
6. In addition, the consumer has the right to refuse such services as cleaning staircases.

Conclusion

Innovations in the procedure for providing CG were made to make their receipt simple and transparent. In general, they streamline the relationship between the population and housing and communal services. But there are a number of ambiguities in the new rules. Whether this reform will be effective will become known over time.