Connecting gas to an apartment after being disconnected for non-payment: procedure and legal subtleties

Despite the fact that the deprivation of access to blue fuel is carried out after preliminary warning to homeowners, many are not ready for a quick recovery. And not only because of lack of funds. Have you noticed how difficult it seems for many owners to connect gas to an apartment after a shutdown?

In fact, the procedure is simple. It is legally approved and tested in practice. The main thing is to quickly find funds to pay the debt, fill out the documents correctly, and monitor the correct installation and sealing.

In this article, we have collected information about the timing of reconnection, rules and legal nuances, and provided a detailed algorithm of actions. After reading it, you will know what documents are needed, at what stage they need to be prepared and how to complete them correctly.

Procedure for calculating the debt amount

The gas pipeline in an apartment or private house is shut off after the homeowner has owed payment for two calendar months.

In this case, the gas company must notify him in writing about planned shutdown in 20 days. This time is given to pay off the debt and avoid drastic measures.

Many gas companies make concessions, giving permission to restore gas supply until the debt is fully repaid. In this case, the owner pays half of the debt and connects the gas, and pays the remaining amount in installments according to an individual schedule

But if this has already happened, then the total amount will consist not only of gas payment at the tariff and accrued late fees, but also of reimbursement of gas workers’ expenses for disconnecting, dismantling, connecting, and sealing equipment. Prices for services can be found in the subscriber service department.

Reconnection algorithm

When connecting blue fuel, the applicant can be the owner of the residential premises. Therefore, only he can contact the supplier.

If housing is provided under a social rental agreement, an application can be submitted by a temporary resident who has entered into this agreement.

Step No. 1 - repaying the debt to the supplier

The first step is to pay off the debt to the gas supply company. It is made according to a receipt for the month preceding the current one.

If the area is served by a third-party intermediary organization, then you need to contact them for a receipt.

You can pay for gas use in different ways: at a bank branch, through online banking or from the user’s personal account on the website of the gas supplying organization. The personal account is most often the contract number

Along with the amount of debt, it is necessary to pay the state duty, penalties, and enforcement fee. You can sometimes pay for a gas connection with welding upon completion of the work - this possibility should be discussed with an employee of the supplier company in advance.

Despite the uniformity of legal requirements, the cost of services at different gas supply companies may vary. Therefore, restoring gas supply in one region will cost more or less than the same operation in another.

On average, the cost of reconnecting gas in apartments reaches 6 thousand rubles.This amount does not include the purchase of new meters, fees for verification of old flow meters

However, the estimate drawn up by gas service employees should be as transparent as possible. It lists all the work and consumables. Prices are taken from the official price list of the organization.

Step No. 2 - drawing up and submitting an application

There is no single application form. But its content is the same in most cases.

It includes:

• information about the applicant-owner of the gasified premises;
• exact address of the apartment;
• information about debt repayment indicating the date.

The application must be accompanied by paid receipts for gas supply, dismantling, connection and re-installation of devices.

Personal presence when submitting an application is not required. This can be done via the Internet. Appearance is required only to sign the contract and approve the individual payment schedule

Experienced users recommend saving copies of receipts and submitting the application in duplicate. The first will remain with the gas company, and on the second, the subscriber department employee will sign to confirm receipt of the application and the receipts attached to it.

By law, authorized representatives of gas services must make a decision on reconnecting gas within 5 working days. This is stated in Government Decree No. 549, again edited in September 2017. The starting point is the date of acceptance of the application.

Step No. 3 - resuming the gas supply

It happens that when dismantling a gas pipeline, gas service technicians notice a malfunction of equipment, incorrect placement of devices, or the expiration of their service life.

In this case, the owner of the premises will have to correct the defects at his own expense, pay fines and submit the relevant evidence along with confirmation of payment.

Unauthorized tapping into a gas pipeline in a private house, as well as unapproved gas connection in an apartment, is punishable by a fine of 10 to 15 thousand rubles. Such a violation, committed repeatedly, entails criminal liability.

If all devices and pipes are normal, then after making a decision to reconnect the gas, the master will come to carry out the work at the agreed time.

At this stage the owner must prepare:

1. Prisoner previously gas supply agreement.
2. Ownership documents.
3. Technical data sheets of gas-using equipment, flow meters.

During the connection process, the technician will connect the pipes, restore flange connections, and check the tightness of the gas pipeline. Since the installation is carried out using welding machines, it is worth preparing the workplace: remove foreign objects, pull back the curtains, protect the walls, kitchen appliances, and furniture.

The result of the work should be connected devices and sealed meters. If, while waiting for the fuel supply to be restored, meter verification, then the inspection date must be displayed in the work completion report.

Sometimes the meter is sealed separately. To do this, the owner of the flow meter writes an additional application and separately calls a specialist. In this case, payment according to the meter data is calculated only after the seal is installed. Until this moment, calculations are carried out according to the standards

The readings of the newly installed meter, the date the device was put into operation.

Lack of gas after debt repayment

It happens that gas connection after disconnection for non-payment does not occur even if the debt is fully repaid.

This happens for various reasons:

1. Due to technical failures in the operation of ATMs and stationary payment terminals. In this case, the payment is made, but information about it is not received or is untimely transmitted to the gas service subscriber department.
2. In case of late payment made on weekends or holidays.
3. If there is no mark about successful payment in the computer program of the customer department.

In all situations, you will have to personally contact the gas company, present receipts or paid receipts, make a recalculation, and clarify the possible date of resumption of gas supply.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

In the video, a gas service specialist once again reminds us of the procedure to follow if it is necessary to resume gas supply after a forced shutdown:

So, we figured out what to do if the gas was turned off for non-payment, how to quickly connect it and what documents are needed for this. Despite the fact that the algorithm is clear and simple, restoring the fuel supply takes energy and time, and drains the budget. Therefore, it is better to avoid delays and monitor the receipt of payment information.

If you already have experience in reconnecting gas or have ever paid off a debt on an individual schedule or received a deferment, write. Your comments can become a useful guide to action for those who find themselves in a similar situation for the first time. The form below allows you to ask questions, participate in the discussion of the material, post photographs and scans of documents and receipts.