Is it possible to refuse to install a gas meter: what does the law say?

Have you ever had to give up installing a gas meter? The step is quite desperate, because according to the law, each owner must necessarily install a gas meter inside his home. This obligation is imposed on every citizen of the Russian Federation who owns immovable property, therefore ignoring the need to install such a device will have unpleasant consequences for it in the form fine.

Along with this, the user of the new equipment receives an invoice for the payment of the meter, and, accordingly, its installation. Agree, a paid service should imply a choice, which is why it is so important to find out how refuse to install a gas meter in your own home and is it possible to do this on legal grounds.

Many residents of private and apartment buildings are outraged by the new rules for forced installation such a device, therefore, the question of the possibility of refusing the service every day becomes more and more sharp. We will help you understand the specifics of the law, and understand whether it is possible to refuse the service without consequences.

What does the law say?

According to Federal Law No. 261 "On energy conservation and energy efficiency and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation", owners of private houses and apartment owners who use gas are obliged to install metering devices consumed gas.

As an exception, all residents of the home who only use gas for cooking may not install expensive counter. In other words, owners of a private home or apartment who do not use gas equipment to heat the premises are exempted from compliance with the law.

In this case, payment for gas is made in accordance with the standards, while the amount to be paid is calculated based on the number of persons living in the apartment. The law also does not apply to residents of apartments and houses where the consumption of gas used for heating does not exceed 2 cubic meters per hour.

In addition to these cases, all residents of the country with real estate were required to install a gas meter before January 1, 2019. Before refusing to install the meter on gas, it should be understood that the device will be forcibly mounted by public service workers in any case.

Refusal to install the counter

If the owner refuses to voluntarily install the meter, then the employees of the gas distribution company have the right to do it forcibly. In this case, the owner is obliged to provide an opportunity for specialists to make installation of a gas flow meter in an apartment.

Regardless of whether the meter is installed with the consent of the owner or not, all costs for its installation will be collected from the consumer.

At the moment, the gas distribution company has not established any fines for refusing to comply with the law on installing a gas meter.

If the owner is in no hurry to submit an application for the need to install a parting in the territorial branch of the gas service, he will not bear no responsibility for ignoring the law, which cannot be said about obstruction of installation work by gas specialists service.

There are also privileged categories of the population for which free installation of gas meters is provided. Read more in this material.

Penalty for obstructing the installation of a meter

If the owner does not agree with the need to install a gas consumption meter, he will have to let the employees of the gas company into their homes, and not interfere with the assembly work.

In case of refusal to perform the listed actions by the owner of the home, the service specialists have the right to file a lawsuit in court for the obstruction of mandatory maintenance.

The homeowner must provide gas workers with access to maintain gas equipment. Just in the process of carrying out scheduled work, the absence of a gas meter is discovered.

It is for refusing to let gas service workers in for maintenance on the home owner is fined up to 2,000 rubles.

Cost of work

Today, the installation of a gas distribution meter belongs to the category of expensive services, which is why many consumers refuse the service. On average, together with the installation, a new gas meter will cost a resident of Russia about 8,000 rubles, depending on the chosen model of the device.

The approximate cost for gas meters suitable for an apartment starts from 2,000 rubles, although most of the models are in the price category of about 3,500 rubles. That is, if you want to purchase a high-quality meter, you will need to pay extra for the installation, including the cost of the necessary materials.

Since for many citizens of the country, this amount was too high, which is why not all consumers can pay at one time, gas workers went to meet their customers. The gas distribution company now provides an installment plan for the service, allowing consumers to pay a set amount in multiple installments.

The promised installment plan will be provided to the gas consumer at 7.75% per annum. The maximum payment period is equal to five years, however, if the buyer wishes, it can be reduced.

Is installing a meter profitable?

If earlier the payment for gas was calculated depending on the number of registered residents, then with the installation of the meter, the user pays for the actual consumption of energy resources.

The amount of gas consumed is indicated in the meter readings, so that many consumers will no longer need to pay random amounts displayed on receipts. Thus, each citizen can independently regulate the amount of gas consumed.

Employees of gas services conduct a massive instruction of the population about the need to install meters, and responsibility for the use of such equipment. The possibility of obtaining an installment plan makes it easier for many citizens of the country, so those who want to refuse to install a meter are becoming less and less.

Responsibility for the operation of metering devices

The owner of the premises where the gas meter is installed is responsible for the condition and operation of the appliance. Immediately after installing the gas consumption meter, the landlord must sign maintenance contract gas appliances with an appropriate organization, whose responsibilities include periodic gas meter verification.

The procedure for signing an agreement with a gas company is a prerequisite for every homeowner with gas equipment connected to it. In this case, the contract can be concluded with the organization that installs the meter, or any other power supply company.

Upon detection counter malfunctions, experts seize it for repair work. Often the manufacturer is engaged in the repair of the device. After elimination of all malfunctions, the device is installed in its original place, while the company's employees are obliged to re-check its operation.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

You can find out who still has the right not to agree to the installation of a gas meter from the video:

The article presented the most important points regarding the installation of a gas meter, including the cost of services, and the main question of whether a citizen of the Russian Federation can refuse to install a gas counter. The law states that all homeowners must install the appliance, except in a few cases.

Any obstruction to the employees of the gas company in carrying out the installation work will result in fines and even legal proceedings. As a result, the installation of a gas meter will be much cheaper.

You can talk about how you managed to abandon the installation of a gas meter or share your own experience in installing the device. Please also tell us about the costs that you had to cover during the installation work. Tell your story in the comments below. There you can also get professional advice from our permanent experts.