Suspension of gas supply: procedure and conditions for suspension and resumption of gas supply in an apartment building

Have you ever had to pay for gas not on time? Isn't it true that your own inattention and bureaucratic procedures are unsettling? Consumers should know when they are at risk of gas interruptions and what to do after that. Forewarned - forearmed, so that it is better to study all sides of the issue at one time and never doubt again.

The article contains links to legislation and practical information, so you will learn your rights and the best course of action. The main decisions are made by the state for the people, and the latter share their knowledge and experience. For each case of connecting and stopping the gas supply, we have indicated an exhaustive set of options.

The quality of utilities is being improved all the time, but conflict situations will always arise. Unpleasant incidents with gas cutoffs happen for technical and financial reasons. To ensure that there is as little of this as possible and that respectable citizens do not suffer, the gas sector is regulated at the highest level. People need to know about their rights and responsibilities, otherwise they will be unprepared for the problem, and even more so for its solution.

Reasons for turning off the gas

Gas is not always paid on time, and there is nothing strange about it. A person can simply forget about receipts and the last day of the billing period.

The filing is stopped due to the growing debt, as well as for technical and other reasons - when not everything depends on the company.

Fuel suppliers are regulated by Art. 546 of the Civil Code (Civil Code) and resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers. Clear legislative and regulatory boundaries have a positive effect on market conditions and prevent conflict situations.

For gas companies, there are restrictions on gas shutdowns: there is a clear list of cases when its supply can be stopped without warning.

With consumer notice

This is a normal practice, and it plays into the hands of all parties. The warning is given in writing.

Gas will not be withdrawn without notice if the situation corresponds to any of the following:

• the owners did not enter into a contract for the maintenance of the gas supply system;
• gas equipment does not meet technical standards, but the conclusion of a special commission on this matter is not yet available;
• gas appliances and communications are not suitable for use in the region;
• residents do not pay for gas for 2 months;
• owners do not allow inspectors to access gas equipment;
• the client does not report the amount of fuel consumed, despite the fact that he is obliged to do so under the contract;
• the equipment has expired.

The right to turn off the gas appears 20 days after the filing of such a notice. Not the best option for tenants is sending by mail, but this is also practiced and delays occur.

The consumer may be left without gas at the most unpleasant moment, but his debt is unlikely to be a surprise to him.

After the expiration of the 20-day period, the fuel supply is stopped. In the worst case, they can be cut off from the gas supply system.

Sudden gas cutoff

In some cases, the fuel supply is stopped without warning.

Intentional and emergency shutdowns occur due to serious equipment problems:

• a special commission established that the gas appliances did not comply with the technical requirements, as well as the likelihood of an accident;
• a gas leak has occurred;
• there are faults in the gas communications of the house inside or outside;
• there was an accident at the gas distribution station.

When the problems related to the first three points are resolved, tenants will be entitled to supply in full. The supplier will fulfill this condition within 3 working days.

First, the problem must be completely eliminated, then - report it gas company, and only then the deadline will start counting.

After an incident, gas is supplied to the central system no later than 1 day later. Sometimes you have to wait another 2 days before it begins to flow in full volume and with the required pressure.

Companies are given no more than 4 hours a month for planned outages for the purpose of prevention or repair. Every hour over the limit means a 0.15% price reduction for consumers.

Supplier disconnection procedure

The procedure and schedule for repayment of debt and the supplier's rights are determined, among other things NS. 2 and p. 119 Art. 345 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Paragraph 2 deals with stopping / interrupting the gas supply, and 119 - with a temporary suspension. The supplier is obliged to deliver Art. 549 of the Civil Code by postal order or in person. A fixed timetable for a possible shutdown is attached to the document.

After the first suspension, the company, for at least a month, does not have the right to stop deliveries on a permanent basis. For clients, this period should be considered short, especially since the notification of the second limitation is submitted only 3 days before its implementation.

Residents will simply miss it if they are on vacation or on a business trip. After arriving, they may see seals on the gas equipment. This will mean that the disconnection has taken place.

The suspension is made due to the consumer's debt or the lack of guarantees for the security of delivery. More precisely, the reason is non-payment or underpayment for the last 2 months or more, as well as the actions or inaction of the apartment owners.

Gas can be cut off to specific apartments, and after ignoring the second notification, they can be cut off from the gas network altogether. The first option means suspension or shutdown on a permanent basis, the second - that then communications will have to be restored. Gas can be cut off to the entire apartment building (MKD).

Voluntary refusal of gas

Item 51 Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 549 states that consumers have the right to terminate gas supply agreements unilaterally. Clients only pay for all the gas for which they have not yet paid off, and for the work to turn off the equipment.

Consumers also inform all parties and responsible authorities. Failure is usually associated with a switch to electrical equipment.

The legislation does not allow self-dismantling of gas equipment, because this is a risk for the whole house: inconvenience, accidental shutdown of other apartments, in the worst case - an explosion. It is impossible to interfere with the operation of the system in a private building. Violation of this rule will lead to the fact that a fine will be added to the costs.

To suspend the gas supply to the apartment as quickly as possible and without violations, you should contact the HOA or the management company. The competent authorities will give information about the legality of certain manipulations. Right prune or carry gas pipes only available for licensed workers.

Where should you start?

The first step is to contact the management company or HOA. There they will help to draw up an application for refusal of gas, they will talk about the nuances of replacing gas devices with electrical ones. There you can also get acquainted with the procedure for stopping gas supply for residents of MKD.

Then you need to go to Gorgaz with a completed application and the following documents:

• passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
• receipts proving that there are no gas payments in arrears;
• documents for the apartment where the gas is supplied.

Giving up on gas is sometimes difficult. Apartment buildings are included in the housing stock, so you will need permission from the management company: usually employees will meet halfway and help in resolving issues, but different things can happen. Without the consent of the co-owners of the apartment, the matter will not budge at all.

How long will the disconnection take?

This will take a little over a month, if there is no delay.

The main process consists of 4 stages:

1. Inspection of the equipment by a gas service worker.
2. Drawing up a drawing.
3. Conclusion of a contract for the performance of work.
4. Payment of the invoice.

After that, the work itself begins - this is a purely technical moment. The pipe sections are removed, and the remaining holes are tightly welded. The arrival of the brigade is expected on average 20 days. At the same time, it takes 5 days for a more complicated stage to agree on documents.

The work of dismantling gas pipes will also be slowed down by the conversion of housing to electrical equipment. These two processes usually go on at the same time.

Gas cut-off cost

The cost will differ from region to region. The order of prices can be found in the territorial department of the gas service at the location of the MKD or on the official website. The gas supplier takes money for the departure of the crew and cutting the lowering on the gas device - the part of the pipe through which the fuel goes to the stove or other device.

Deviations in the operation of gas supply systems

We are talking about malfunctions in gas communications. They become the reason for the suspension of filing without warning and at short notice. Breakdowns can be detected even after years.

So, the problems and their causes:

• system malfunctions as a result of equipment reorganization not according to the rules or due to unauthorized interference;
• incorrect operation of the system for automatic shutdown of the fuel supply in excess of the permissible deviation limits - in cases where prompt repair is impossible;
• the equipment is disassembled or defective and cannot be repaired;
• failure to comply with regulations regarding the operation of gas appliances;
• unauthorized installation of gas pipelines with omission of norms;
• connection to the general distribution system without permission;
• operation of gas appliances with unrecoverable gas leakage.

A malfunction will be indicated by the lack of draft in the smoke and ventilation ducts. Due to insufficient air flow, the gas burns out in an incomplete volume.

Illegal gas cutoff

It is worth familiarizing yourself with the legislative regulation in the field of gas supplies. For example, read the Federal Law No. 69 dated 03/31/1999, Government Decree No. 162 dated 05.02.1998 and Government Decree No. 549 dated 21.07.2008.

Together with them also act PP No. 354 and PP No. 410. Their content was amended on 05/06/2011 and 05/14/2013, respectively, and the innovations affected the field of utilities and safety measures during the operation of gas equipment.

Normative legal acts regulate the principles of delivery and pricing, the issue of social guarantees. The contracts are laid down and executed in accordance with these documents. The state accepted them, first of all, in the interests of household consumers.

Possible situations of illegal disconnection:

• disconnection from the gas distribution system for any reason not prescribed by law;
• disconnection by a party that does not appear in the maintenance contracts;
• due to circumstances for which the gas company is to blame;
• on the basis of debt from a small percentage of all subscribers;
• due to the lack of access to the equipment, if the tenants were not at home;
• without mandatory notification;
• without meeting deadlines.

Long-term pruning during the heating season, which leads to damage to engineering networks and property, does not comply with the law. Provided that gas is the only heating option.

You should defend your rights first orally and then in writing. The supplier can ignore the appeal, but then there will be 3 options for appealing at once: to the service for supervision in the field of consumer protection, to the prosecutor's office or to the court, if the damage has already been assessed.

Conditions and procedure for resuming gas supply

You can get gas again after eliminating all the reasons due to which the supply was interrupted. It takes up to 2 months if the problem is technical. The consumer eliminates all problems, extinguishes the debt, and only then you can submit information and write an application for the renewal of the service.

The client should come to the office of the company, write an appeal in 2 copies. The application must contain:

• date, time and place of preparation of the document;
• supplier data;
• Full name of the recipient or legal name, if the customer of the service is a company;
• the reasons for the suspension of gas supply;
• a list of works to turn off the gas and measures to eliminate the reasons that caused this, if the shutdown was not voluntary;
• date and time of all work, and this information can also be obtained from the supplier itself.

The statement is also supplemented with receipts for payment for gas and measures for its voluntary shutdown.

Government Decree No. 549 in p. 48 obliges the supplier company to start gas supply within 5 days from the date of receipt of such a request.

Algorithm of actions for connection

First, they resolve the issue with the supplier and eliminate the cause of the disconnection. Repairers do their part if there is a breakdown, and the consumer remains in control of the process.

Solving the problem step by step:

1. We leave a request.
2. We pay for services on issued receipts.
3. We present to the contractor an act of payment.
4. We express our wishes regarding the timing.

The process of reconnecting to the gas network has its own subtleties. If the filing was terminated by the company due to external factors, then the restoration should take place after the solution of these particular problems. He has no right to refuse gas supply for other reasons.

Pricing is part of the mandate of a gas supplier, be it a state, municipal or private entity. This also applies to connection services. Apartment buildings are mainly served by Gorgaz.

The guilty party will pay for the connection / disconnection. Gorgaz will pay for the connection if the damage happened due to emergency workers.

It so happens that gas is cut off or cut off to a separate apartment, and the rest receive it. The owner will be able to use the blue fuel again after paying in advance for the restoration of the gas system.

Unexpected disconnection from gas supply

In gas networks, accidents, interruptions, freezing sometimes occur. A sudden stop of gas supply will most likely occur at an inconvenient moment, although there is nothing good in a deliberate shutdown.

First of all, the tenants have thoughts about safety: they go to the neighbors and find out whether an isolated incident has occurred or not. As a rule, there is nothing to be afraid of, because suppliers from time to time carry out scheduled repairs and replacement of equipment.

If the reason for the shutdown is unknown, then you need to contact the emergency gas service (104, you can also use 112), the management company or the supplier. Exactly in this order, if no information was received from the previous instance.

The emergency service will tell you about an accident in the gas network. Perhaps the reasons will be given. In any case, they should start checking.

In the second place, they turn to the Housing Office or the Department of Housing and Utilities - this is how the management companies call themselves. If it was not possible to find out anything by number 104, then the Criminal Code will probably inform about the planned work and the corresponding notification. Apartment owners do not always receive a notification if it was not posted at the entrance to the entrance.

The service provider is unlikely to have to call. The first two instances notify about the upcoming work, and the rest of the questions may not know the answer in the company itself. Especially if there was an accident in a distant place. In which case, the contact details of the supplier can be found on the receipt.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

In what cases the gas can be turned off, statistics of violations and features of service contracts:

Malfunctions, frequent cases in practice and recommendations on how to avoid them:

To collect the debt, the company can go to court, in order to then recover the lost amount together with the bailiffs:

Gas supply may be suspended for a 2-month delay or for security reasons. At the same time, pipeline accidents are a nuisance for both customers and suppliers. To balance the rights of both market participants, laws and regulations were passed. They were supplemented and improved.

There is a clear procedure for stopping the gas supply and connecting it. In addition, consumers and supplying companies have a legal basis for taking specific steps. There is also a multidisciplinary consumer protection supervision service in Russia. This is one of the structures where you can complain if the gas is turned off or illegally refused to connect.

Share your experience in the comments and feel free to ask about the nuances. Your particular case may exactly coincide with the situation of another site visitor. Tell us about how you solved the gas supply issue or what steps you are taking now for this.