The process of turning off electricity for non-payment of utilities

It is difficult to imagine the life of a modern person without electricity. After all, electricity is not only lighting, but also a power source for household appliances, refrigeration equipment, electronic gadgets, etc. Unfortunately, representatives of management companies are also aware of this, and they often use power outages as a lever of pressure on residents who are late in paying for utilities.

It is noteworthy that such disconnection does not always occur within the framework of the law, and in some cases, the management company and housing and communal services can be held accountable for arbitrariness.

Grounds for dissatisfaction

There are two types of grounds for filing claims against Energosbyt:

• on the quality of supplied electricity;
• for illegal actions in connection with the supply of electricity.

Decree No. 354 of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6, 2011 “On the provision of utility services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings” establishes the basic parameters and conditions for the supply of electricity to the end consumer. So, in accordance with this Resolution, electricity must be supplied to consumers:

• around the clock;
• without interruption;
• without deviations in the technical parameters provided for by GOST No. 13109-97 “On electricity quality standards in the general power supply system.”

Power outages, drops or increases in voltage in the network, non-sinusoidality and asymmetry of supply and resulting disruptions in the operation of household and office equipment will constitute a significant violation of the terms of supply of electricity and may serve as the basis for:

1. for claims;
2. for complaints;
3. for lawsuits;
4. for demands to reduce the cost of electricity by 0.15 percent for each hour of violation;
5. for claims for compensation for damage caused by interruptions in the supply of electricity.

Terminal “Video consultant” and terminal for transmitting readings

Video Consultant terminals provide subscribers with the opportunity to contact a contact center operator on a range of issues via video communication. The devices are equipped with a scanner and printer. Thus, the user can not only receive advice, but can also submit the necessary documents, can receive the necessary certificate, for example, a personal account statement or a payment receipt, etc.

Basically, such terminals are installed in places where there is no client office of Mosenergosbyt JSC nearby, within walking distance. Currently, numerous government centers are equipped with terminals.

Also, for the convenience of customer service, terminals for receiving readings from electricity and water meters have been installed in the offices of JSC Mosenergosbyt and LLC MosOblEIRTS with a preliminary check of the correctness of the readings transmitted through the terminal. The service is convenient because it eliminates the possibility of losing the form or incorrectly recording data.

In addition to transmitting meter readings, users have access to additional functions of the terminal, such as: information on electricity tariffs, receiving reference information about Mosenergosbyt JSC and ordering paid services.

Addresses with installed Mosenergosbyt video terminals:

All public service centers in Moscow and the Moscow region operate from 8:00 to 20:00 every day without breaks or weekends.

Unlawful power outage

Another reason for filing a complaint with Energosbyt may be the illegal (unjustified) disconnection of the consumer from the power grid.

In accordance with the already mentioned Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354, the procedure and reasons for disconnecting consumers from the power grid are strictly regulated. So:

1. disconnection of debtors should not harm the interests of bona fide payers, that is, disconnections can only be of an individual nature;
2. disconnection should not damage consumer household appliances;
3. Disconnection may not be carried out by employees of the management company or housing department;
4. disconnection is not carried out (even if there are debts) in winter in houses heated using electricity;
5. It is unacceptable to cut off electricity in orphanages, hospitals, nursing homes, houses where children and disabled people live who need a special diet or life support, etc.

Who to file a claim with

A written expression of dissatisfaction with the quality of supplied electricity or illegal actions to disconnect from the power grid can be sent to:

• to the energy supply organization itself;
• to the local executive authority;
• to the Federal Antimonopoly Service;
• to the prosecutor's office;
• to Rospotrebnadzor.

In addition, you can draw up a statement of claim and send it to the court.

In this case, only a complaint to the energy supply organization will have the nature of a claim. And only she can make demands on:

• recalculation due to low quality of supplied energy;
• compensation for damage, including moral damage, caused by inadequate quality of electricity or disconnection from the power grid.

Appeals to all other above-mentioned bodies will have the nature of a complaint or statement, even if the text is identical.

If you write a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor, then the request will be for the obligation of the energy supply organization to perform certain actions.

The fact is that neither Rospotrebnadzor, nor the prosecutor’s office, nor the municipality can recover anything from the electricity supplier. They can only punish him.

So, if, among other things, you want, for example, compensation for damage, then the claim must be sent directly to the supplier. And if you do not want to waste time on claims, then you can go straight to court.

So, let's summarize. Regardless of who turned off your electricity or who is to blame for the power outages:

• the claim is written with Energosbyt;
• the complaint is written to Rospotrebnadzor, the Criminal Code, HOA, SNT, the federal antimonopoly service or the prosecutor's office;
• the claim is filed in court.

You determine the addressee and type of appeal independently and at your own discretion.

About other decorations

Basically, this segment is represented by silver, but there are exceptions to the rules. Do not forget that silver has its own separate set of samples. The general concept of grading is the same as for gold (the higher the purity, the better).

But it is not profitable to hand over silver. If only in very large volumes. By the way, silver can be accepted in the form of:

1. Cufflinks.
2. Jewelry.
3. Cutlery, etc.

Even a cross can be taken to a pawnshop. The truth here is more complicated. Religious jewelry is usually accepted at a reduced rate.

If you try to sell unpaired earrings, then be prepared for them to be accepted at the cost of scrap. Because 2 earrings are a set, but one is nothing. It will not be possible to sell it later, except perhaps for melting down.

Pawn shops also accept antiques or some art items. It could be anything:

1. Sculpture.
2. Statue.
3. Furniture.
4. Books.
5. Icons, etc.

However, here you already need a deep study of the subject to understand how much it costs. Therefore, we recommend that you first check the value on auction sites. It's a matter of five minutes. This way you can find out what you can roughly expect. True, not everything is so smooth here either. If your vase costs $1,000, the pawn shop will definitely try to cut it off.

Naturally, such establishments also sell exotic items. If they can be quickly sold and get money.

Features of gardening non-profit partnerships

SNT members receive electricity through an intermediary, that is, through the SNT administration, which has entered into an agreement with the energy supply organization. In this case, payment is made not by calculating the energy consumed, but through membership fees, which include the price of consumed electricity within the entire partnership.

The SNT administration, by transferring part of the membership fees, settles with Energosbyt for:

• electricity consumption by each section (individual consumption;
• electricity consumption in the interests of the entire SNT (public consumption).

Accordingly, arrears in membership fees lead to the formation of SNT arrears in payments for electricity. Because of this, if there is a debt, the SNT administration (general meeting) has the right to disconnect individual consumers from the internal power grid.

Ordering services through your Mosenergosbyt personal account

In addition to the usual services, Mosenergosbyt has a list of additional works and services. These include:

1. replacement and installation of metering devices;
2. installation work on wiring in residential premises;
3. connecting household appliances;
4. electrical design work.

To order electrical work, you must:

• Log in to your personal account;
• In the menu, select the “Services and Products” tab;
• Select the service you need from the drop-down menu.

After the application has been created, a Mosenergosbyt specialist will contact you to coordinate all issues. Mosenergosbyt operates on a prepayment basis. Once the scope of work has been agreed upon, the customer is issued an invoice. The work will be completed within 10 days after receipt of payment to the company's account.

Mosenergosbyt installation of water meters

In addition to electricity meters, you can order the installation of meters from Mosenergosbyt to calculate water consumption. Also, upon request, company employees can come and check how correctly the installation of metering devices was carried out if the work was carried out by a third party. If the equipment is certified and the installation is done in accordance with the standards, then Mosenergosbyt will issue the documents necessary for registering the device.

Preparing to write a claim

The complaint must include information about what caused the consumer's dissatisfaction. Accordingly, arguments about the reasons for dissatisfaction must be confirmed.

The following are used as confirmations:

• a list of complaints to the dispatch service of Energosbyt, to the housing department, homeowners' association, FAS or to the management company;
• expert opinions confirming breakdowns of household appliances due to power outages or power surges;
• residents’ reports, expert opinions on voltage measurements, etc.

Unified personal account Mosenergosbyt

Complaint to the prosecutor's office
By registering in the “Unified Personal Account of the Client,” any subscriber of the company gains control over the state of his personal account, and also gains access to other related information. In the “Unified Personal Account of the Client”, the user can manage personal accounts not only of Mosenergosbyt JSC, but also of MosOblEIRTS LLC, and regional solid waste management operators in the Moscow region are also included here.

By registering in the client’s personal account, the subscriber will be able to solve many important tasks without personally visiting the company’s office, such as:

• payment for electricity without commission,
• transmission of meter readings,
• request for paid services,
• viewing consumption statistics, fees and payments,
• electricity bill printout,
• viewing the current balance and managing auto payments,
• remote registration of benefits for electricity payments (available only for Moscow residents),
• management of additional services and much more.

Additionally, in your personal account you can submit a request to the company on any issue of interest related to the execution of the energy supply contract.

Detailed instructions for working in each client’s personal account can be found here.

Making a claim

In order for the claim to most fully convey information and requirements, it must be drawn up in a certain order and with the inclusion of mandatory structural elements, namely:

1. the name of the addressee, that is, the body to which the claim is sent;
2. Full name (name for legal entities) of the author of the claim and his address;
3. information about the agreement under which electricity is supplied;
4. description of the events that led to dissatisfaction: illegal shutdown, supply interruptions, etc.;
5. requirements for the body to which the claim is sent. We remind you that you can only demand from the energy supply organization;
6. justification of requirements - reports, examinations, defect detection certificates, certificates from the warranty workshop, etc.;
7. list of applications. The list includes all documents (copies thereof) on which the requirements are based;
8. date of filing the claim and signature of the author.

The claim can be served in person or by mail. It is advisable to receive confirmation of delivery. To do this, upon personal delivery, ask the addressee to sign the second copy of the claim and indicate the date of receipt. If you choose the postal method, it is advisable to send the claim by registered mail with return postal acknowledgment of delivery.

Proof of delivery will be useful to you when going to court.

How to turn off the electricity in an apartment in an apartment building?

In order to temporarily suspend the provision of such a service, you must perform a number of simple steps:

1. prepare the necessary documents;
2. fill out an application;
3. contact an authorized organization.

Please note that disconnection fees may apply.

Where to contact?

The interested party should contact the service provider. Not always - this is an energy sales organization. This could be a management company or another legal entity with which the owner entered into an agreement on power supply (can the management company turn off the lights?). You can apply in person, by mail or through a legal representative.

Required documents

In order to get a positive result from his application, the owner needs to prepare a number of documents. These include:

• Passport of the interested person.
• The basis on which a person occupies an apartment is a certificate of ownership or inheritance, an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate, a contract of sale, lease, exchange, gift.
• Certificate of arrears in payment of utility services. It is necessary if the reason for disconnection is non-payment.
• Agreement with a contractor. It will be required if the need to turn off electricity is caused by repair work.
• The court's decision. It is necessary when shutdown is forced. That is, a person previously applied, for example, to a management company, but his request was denied.
• Power of attorney of the legal representative, if he takes part in the procedure.

Documents can be submitted in originals or as certified copies.

Compiling an application

The application is made in simple written form. Some organizations provide applicants with ready-made forms. The text should indicate the following:

1. Name and address of the organization to which the applicant is applying.
2. Initiator’s details – last name, first name, patronymic, place of residence, contact phone number.
3. The applicant’s status in relation to the apartment is owner or tenant.
4. Reasons for contacting.
5. Duration of shutdown (for how long can electricity be turned off by law?).
6. Date and signature.

An application for power outage can be made in two copies, one of which the applicant will keep for himself.

We do not recommend completing the documents yourself. Save time - contact our lawyers by phone:

8 (800) 350-14-90

Timing and cost

The company fulfills the client's order within the time limits agreed upon by the parties when submitting the application. In practice, the requirement is fulfilled within two to three days.

Legislative acts do not approve clear prices for services of this nature. The cost must be clarified with the organization to which the initiator applies. It is determined based on the price list valid at the time of application. The average cost will be 1,000 rubles.

If a power outage occurs due to an accident or scheduled repairs without warning or justified reasons, this causes inconvenience for consumers and natural indignation on their part. What to do in the event of an illegal power outage, where to call if there is no power or frequent interruptions, and whether the chairman of SNT can stop the supply of electricity - we told in our material.

Consideration

In accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Procedure for Considering Citizens’ Appeals,” the period for consideration of a claim, complaint or application is thirty days.

That is, at the end of this period, the body to which you applied must give you a written response.

If your complaint was sent to the FAS or Rospotrebnadzor, then you will definitely receive an answer. As for the claim to the energy supply organization, the chance of achieving what you want is directly proportional to the validity of the claim.

If the arguments are justified, and the text contains a warning about the intention to go to court, then you will be given an answer. It won't necessarily be positive, since electricity suppliers are seasoned in dealing with claims, but there will still be a response. In the future, if you go to court, the response will need to be attached to the statement of claim.

What should the complaint contain?

There is no specific structure for writing a complaint; it can be written in any form, but you must adhere to the structure so as not to forget about certain points.

All available evidence must be attached to the complaint. Not only a citizen whose interests were specifically affected in this case can file a complaint.

The complaint will not be considered if it is submitted:

1. Not in Russian;
2. Contains insults and obscene language;
3. If this complaint has already been considered and a response has been received within the period established by law.

Accordingly, in order for the complaint to be considered, you must adhere to these tips. The complaint can be written either independently or with the help of a professional lawyer who will immediately assess the damage received, if any.