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.
How to record a violation?
First of all, you need to collect the signatures of your neighbors as witnesses to the shutdown, even if it only happened in your apartment (house).
Then you need to call representatives of the energy company that supplies you with services and achieve the creation of a special commission that will record the violation by drawing up an act.
The commission must include a representative of the energy supply organization and (or) management company.
A member of the SNT has the right to call the local police officer and register a complaint at the police station.
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.
Schedule: information and placement
A planned power outage is preceded by drawing up an exact schedule, which details where and when repair and maintenance work is planned to be carried out.
As a rule, this document is drawn up at the end of the year for each month of the upcoming reporting period. Moreover, its preparation is carried out by employees of the network organization that provides electricity supply services to the population (where to go if the power is turned off?).
According to the general rules, the schedule of planned power outages indicates the following information:
- exact dates of planned maintenance and repair work (month, date);
- time of power outage;
- category of subscribers (for example, residential buildings, shops, etc.);
- addresses;
- contact numbers of utility consumers.
Below is a sample schedule of planned power outages:
Many network organizations publish blackout schedules for the coming year on their official website, since this information should also be brought to the attention of citizens.
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.
Who cannot have their electricity turned off for non-payment?
To confirm the preferential group, you must bring a certificate to the office of the RSO or Management Company. The person holding such preferences must be an owner or a family member.
The presence of permanent and not temporary registration of a beneficiary is strictly mandatory.
Department of Energy Law Prohibiting Disconnections from the Electricity Grid for Nonpayment
In addition to the fact that there are categories of beneficiaries who are prohibited from being deprived of electricity, in general, each specific case must be considered from different angles by the management of the Distribution Grid Company or the Management Authority.
In this case, the amount of debt for payments should accumulate over 2 months, but in fact the amount of debt can be 300 rubles. All possible measures should be taken to repay the arrears, namely, contact the supervisory agency in writing, or make an appointment for a personal meeting with the head of the organization. Experts also advise paying off debt in installments.
Disabling utility services should not harm the remaining residents of the apartment who are not debtors.
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.
Where to go to connect electricity
You can apply for restoration of power supply only after the debt has been fully repaid. Alternatively, it is possible to reach an agreement with the contractor to provide payment in installments. Connecting the light is a service that you will have to pay for.
To connect the light back you need:
- Contact the service organization (for example, OEC), you can find it in the receipt.
- Pay for the service of restoring electricity, costing about 600-800 rubles.
- Within 2 days, an electrician must come and remove the seal (ab. 9, clause 120 of PP No. 354).
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.
How to deal with frequent power outages online via the Internet?
- As a rule, the websites of municipal administrations are interactive, where you can write a statement outlining your problems and wait for a response.
- Register on the federal government services website and file a complaint in the appropriate window on this site. Registration rules are given on the website. They require a personal appearance at one of the local institutions for identification.
- If the previous appeal did not have any effect, you should contact the website of the regional prosecutor's office with a complaint in any form.
Finding out the address is easy: write in Yandex Search: website of the prosecutor's office of the N region (republic, territory, district). Your complaint will be considered if it does not violate the rules given on this site. If you have not previously contacted the authority to which the energy supply organization is subordinate, your application will be forwarded to this authority for action.
Procedure
The first notification to an individual is sent that the debtor has repaid the arrears within 20 days. The second notice indicates that the consumer has 3 days left. After 1.5 weeks, it is allowed to stop supplying electricity partially or completely. In this case, a report must be drawn up at the place of de-energization.
Don't understand the article or need help? Ask our in-house lawyer a question through the Online Consultant form or leave a comment. We will definitely answer!Ask a question >>>
Legal entities have a shorter period for repaying arrears; the period from notification to preventive measures is 10 days.
Algorithm of actions
During such a procedure, the RSO employee is obliged to create a report on the work done, as well as install a seal on the meter. Damage to the control sensor is regarded as unauthorized connection of electricity, which is punishable by law. The fine is up to 15,000 rubles for individuals, and up to 30,000 rubles for companies.
