From July 1, 2021, network organizations and guaranteeing suppliers began to install smart metering devices, so-called “smart” meters, which can themselves transmit indicators. According to the law, from July 1, 2021, it is still possible to install conventional meters, and from the beginning of 2022, it is necessary to use exclusively telemetric devices connected to smart metering systems.
As stated in Government Decree No. 554 of April 18, 2020, meters with expired verification for citizens are not out of order until January 1, 2021. Accordingly, verification and replacement of serviceable devices with new ones may not be carried out until this date.
What laws determine responsibility for metering devices?
The metering device can calculate the electricity consumption in the apartment, at the entrance, in the common area. Legislation in the public utilities sector regulates the issue of who should change the electricity meters on the staircase .
Electric meters are maintained by the electricity supplier and management company. Their actions are regulated by the Civil and Residential Code.
IMPORTANT! By law, both the management company and the owners of apartments (privatized) must ensure accurate and reliable operation of metering devices.
It is also mandatory to comply with Government Decrees No. 530 (08/31/2006) , No. 491 (08/13/2006), Federal Law No. 261 (11/23/2009) .
Residents of apartments and employees of the management company must act in accordance with the law. A damaged meter must be promptly replaced with a high-quality, modern and reliable device.
If apartment owners ignore the importance of this meter and do not allow electricians to replace it, they will pay for electricity at an inflated rate.
Cost of verification in the laboratory of the Federal Budgetary Institution "Rostest-Moscow"
- Electric energy meters, single-phase active energy – RUB 700.00. (price excluding VAT 20%);
- Single-phase and three-phase active and reactive energy meters, multi-tariff – 1,550 rubles. (price including VAT 20%);
- Electric energy meters, three-phase active energy or reactive energy – RUB 800.00. (price excluding VAT 20%);
- Electric energy meters, three-phase active and reactive energy, bidirectional, multifunctional – RUB 3,400.00. (price excluding VAT 20%).
Features of meter maintenance in a privatized apartment
Electricity meters can be located in a privatized apartment .
The owners of this property have the right by law to choose a convenient time to check and service the meter. If the supplier plans to carry out maintenance work, he must notify the customer. Perhaps the apartment owner does not want to change his appliance, which is burnt out or broken and gives incorrect data, but electricity tariffs will be inflated in this case.
ATTENTION! According to Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 530, the financial costs of checking the electric meter in a privatized apartment, installation, dismantling, and maintenance are borne by the homeowners.
The owner will pay for the replacement of only the device that is located inside the premises. The devices on the site are common house equipment, work with it is financed by the management company .
Features of self-installation of an electric meter
If residents of an ordinary or communal apartment decide to independently install a new meter inside their living space, they must fulfill a number of mandatory requirements:
- Only certain meter models are used for accounting; this issue needs to be clarified with the management company. The price of the device depends on the model; all purchase costs are borne by the consumer.
- After installation, you should definitely invite a representative of the management company or Energosbyt. He must seal the device, put it into operation, and draw up a commissioning report indicating the initial indicators.
- You can find out exactly how much electricity costs and how to calculate payments based on indicators.
ATTENTION! Based on the commissioning certificate, an agreement is drawn up with the electricity supplier. This document regulates issues of maintenance, inspections, and replacement.
Replacement of devices on staircase landings
On the landing and in non-privatized apartments, according to Article 543 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, electricity meters must be changed free of charge by the management company. In order for the company to be responsible for performing these works, apartment owners must enter into an agreement with it.
This document specifies all the nuances of cooperation with the management company, which maintains apartment meters and electricity meters at the entrance in apartment buildings. The electricity supplier in an apartment building is obliged not only to change metering devices, but also to maintain them and conduct regular checks.
In order to ensure that as few conflict issues as possible arise between the residents of the house and the service company, it is necessary to sign an agreement between the parties.
It indicates whose property is the meter on the landing, and whether it is necessary to pay for the replacement of the electric meter if it was damaged by the actions of the residents.
The contract must be drawn up by specialists, and consumers must carefully study the contents before signing it. After this, they will not have any questions about who owns the meter on the stairs or in the apartment. If electricians are forced to pay for the maintenance of the device, a signed agreement will be an excellent protection against extortion.
ATTENTION! It is necessary to indicate in the text of the document who pays for the replacement of equipment damaged due to the fault of the consumer.
It is recommended to protect the meter design with a special screen; in this case, no one will be able to damage it, break the seal, or disrupt the operation of the device.
What should residents of an apartment building do if the agreement with the electricity supplier and management company did not indicate whose property the meter on the site is and did not stipulate its free replacement?
In this case, you need to gather the residents and resolve this issue with the management company; you may need to raise money to replace the common building meter. When signing a subsequent contract, you must include a clause about the responsibility of the parties, free maintenance of appliances, electrical panels in the entrances of residential buildings.
Reasons for replacing the meter
- An outdated device with an accuracy class of 2.0.
- The electric meter began to record inaccurate results. Does not show actual energy consumption.
- Switching to another type of meter due to the choice of multi-tariff mode.
- The replacement can be initiated not only by the owner himself, but also by the energy supply organization. This occurs due to the expiration of the installed device’s service life (service life has exceeded 16 years). Then the energy sales company notifies the homeowner in writing that a replacement is required. The owner is obliged to purchase and install the meter at his own expense within 30 days.
If the owner of the residential premises ignores the notification, then after the month has passed, a consumption tariff will be applied to him, based on the average monthly readings for the previous 3 months. This is the maximum time allowed to replace the meter. After this period, energy sales will begin to apply tariffs according to the standards approved by law.
Basic rules of service
Residents of apartment buildings with common property should know:
- in municipal apartments, the electric meter is changed by the owner of the property, for example, the education department or the city executive committee;
- electricity meters on the landing, which are common house equipment, are replaced by electricians from the supplier or from the management company.
- the owner of a privatized apartment is responsible for all engineering and communication systems inside the premises, as well as for the operation of the electric meter, even if it is located on the site. He must ensure the replacement of a faulty or expired device and pay for the work of electricians.
If there are any misunderstandings about whose balance the devices are located, you need to find out the responsible organization, you can contact Mosenergosbyt, representatives of the Electric Network, or the management of the management company.
Payment for maintenance of common property is included in utility bills. And residents of an apartment building do not have to pay again for the same services, including checking and replacing meters.
How to oblige a government agency to make a connection
State agency employees will not begin to act until the tenant contacts them. In this regard, the tenant needs to start the initiative immediately after moving in. An application must be submitted to the government agency with which the rental agreement was concluded. A written appeal must be drawn up in accordance with the requirements of [4] Federal Law No. 59, Article 7. It must indicate the following:
- Information about the organization and the applicant.
- Real estate data.
- The requirements put forward.
In order for the application to be accepted, copies of real estate documents must be submitted along with it. When submitting, it is important to obtain a copy of the application with the seal and signature of a government agency employee. From the next day after the written request is submitted, the calculation of deadlines begins. The period for consideration of a citizen’s appeal on such an issue is 30 days. Upon expiration of the period, the executors are obliged to notify the applicant about the results of consideration of the application. If notification from a government agency is not received within the prescribed period, or if a refusal is received without legal grounds, then it can be appealed in court or the prosecutor's office.
Turnaround time
New meters are installed after the service life of the previous equipment has expired, and in case of damage to the device.
- Replacement is necessary when mechanical damage is visible on the device or the display does not clearly show the data.
- A new device is installed after the verification interval has expired.
- The meter can also be changed if the seals are broken or damaged.
If the device fails, installation of a new one is carried out upon the call of the homeowner. Even if the device is located on the landing, it must give reliable indicators of energy consumption, work accurately and reliably.
IMPORTANT! You should monitor when the service life of the meter ends and promptly report it to the management company or the supplier’s organization.
If the electric meter does not work, you should look at the contract for the supply of electricity - it indicates the person responsible for maintenance, repair, and inspection.
Electricity meter rules and terms
According to the rules established by law, violation of the procedure for replacing and removing the seal from an old meter entails a fine. At the same time, it is possible to use a recalculation based on already paid energy consumption for the last three years at the maximum tariff.
The electric meter must be operated according to the service life specified in the device passport. When the period has expired, the owner is obliged to contact the energy saving company, and it must send a specialist to replace the electric meter within 10 days.
What if the meter is broken?
If you find problems that require repair of the electricity meter, you should contact your energy sales office. There is no need to try to repair the device yourself, which could lead to breaking the seal, since breaking the seal will result in penalties being applied to the owner.
To eliminate the malfunction, you need to write a statement to the energy supply organization indicating the breakdown and the address of the premises. They are required to coordinate the departure of the master. The electrician will check the condition of the seal and diagnose the problem and draw up the appropriate report. If the meter cannot be repaired, it will need to be replaced.
Who does the installation?
Specialists from the electricity supplier company have the right to install new metering equipment and seal it .
To carry out work, they receive a special permit, supported by experience, qualifications, and accreditation. Professional electricians also carry out the removal of the meter from the apartment to the entrance at the request of the homeowners.
ATTENTION! Owners of privatized apartments must also call an electrician from the management company to replace the meter.
If you install an electricity meter yourself, you still cannot do without a visit from a specialist. Only he can seal the device and check the correctness and safety of its installation.
The electrician will connect the device to the network and put it into operation. When replacing an old device with a new one, a report must be drawn up indicating the exact readings at the time of commissioning.
Accounting for electricity consumption in the apartment begins with these indicators.
Self-replacement of the electricity meter
The question often arises whether it is possible to replace the electric meter on your own. If the owner is a specialist in this field, then in principle this is not prohibited.
Important here will be:
- strict adherence to safety rules;
- in the absence of professional skills, installing the meter yourself is prohibited;
- written approval of the resource supplying organization;
- inviting a specialist to remove the seal from the old device, and after installing the new one to seal it.
Let's talk about replacing the electricity meter yourself step by step:
In this case, you should take into account some points and follow a certain procedure.
- Write an application to Energosbyt explaining the reasons for replacing the meter and obtain permission for it. Bring with you a passport and documents confirming ownership (extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate).
- Immediately ask all the necessary questions about the meter models. Select the type of meter, depending on the tariff plan. The model must be certified and contained in the Register.
- It is better to purchase an electric meter from the company that supplies electricity. Buy a metering device. For example, many people are now buying multi-tariff ones, which allow significant savings, since the tariff is much lower at night. It must comply with the technical specifications required by the energy sales organization. To buy a meter, you will need to present a certificate; without it you cannot make a purchase.
- At the appointed time, they will send a specialist who will record the removal of the seal from the old device.
- The old meter is dismantled in compliance with safety rules. It will need to be saved for final readings. While the meter is absent, for this period the average tariff for the last 3 months will be charged.
- Install a new meter and check its operation.
- Write an application to invite an inspector who will check the installation and seal it.
After replacing the electric meter, the owner of the apartment is issued a sealing certificate.
Important! It is necessary to keep the passport with the technical characteristics of the device, which contains data on the service life. Since it will be useful in the future, the next time you replace the meter.
What is the price? The cost of electricity meters starts from 800 rubles and depends on the technical characteristics. Work to replace the meter is determined by the region from 1 - 2.5 thousand rubles.
Beware, scammers!
Not everyone understands the meaning and order of innovations. And scammers take advantage of this. They try to impose paid services on apartment owners.
Now the service organization notifies the owners in writing about the need to replace the old electric meter, which has reached the end of its service life, with a new one.
It’s easy to buy a database of owners with electric meter data on the Internet. Fraudsters call clients by manipulating laws. The main goal of scammers is to force the owner to change the device at his own expense.
They often go around apartments and, using intimidation with large fines, force them to change a working electric meter. Draw up a contract for the sale of an electric meter and services for its replacement. They take money. To install the seal, it is recommended to contact the energy sales service.
Remember: changing electricity meters is now required free of charge. If you are offered to buy a device and demand money, it means they are scammers.
It is impossible to sue for unauthorized actions of a third party. The owner signs contracts and pays for purchased equipment and services voluntarily.
If the owner is forced to provide a service to replace the electric meter, you need to call the organization and find out whether specialists have been sent to your address.
At whose expense
According to the law, in a privatized apartment the costs of replacing electricity meters are borne by the owners of the property. Local governments usually pay for meter replacement in municipal buildings. However, in some cases the management company is responsible.
The pressing question of who should install and change electric meters causes a large number of conflict situations. According to the law, there are clear rules that define certain rules:
- If the meter is located in an apartment, the owner must install and change it.
- If the meter is located on an area that falls under common property, this should be handled by the local management company.
Necessity
Planned replacement of the electricity meter must be carried out by representatives of the organization supplying electricity. In some cases, the electric meter needs to be replaced ahead of the time specified in the regulations. This may occur due to outdated accuracy class indicators.
For new electrical appliances it should be 1.0, and for old ones the accuracy indicator should be 2.5. Such equipment must be replaced as it provides inaccurate data.
There is also an urgent need to replace electrical meters that are outdated or out of order. Old electric meters are not designed for the use of modern electrical appliances, since they cannot withstand significant loads.
Every year more and more electrical appliances are used in apartments of residential buildings, the transition resistance of which increases with prolonged use. This may cause wires to spark and short circuits to occur, resulting in a possible fire.
ATTENTION! Replacing outdated models of electric meters is required to ensure the safety of property and the lives of residents of the house.
