Suspension of gas supply: reasons for disconnection from gas supply in an apartment building

Have you ever paid for gas on time at least once? Isn't it true that your own inattention and bureaucratic procedures unsettle you? Consumers should know when they are at risk of gas supply interruption and what to do after the event. Forewarned is forearmed, so it’s better to study all sides of the issue at once and never doubt again.

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

The quality of public services is constantly being improved, but conflict situations will always arise. Unpleasant gas outages 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 be aware of their rights and responsibilities, otherwise they will be unprepared for the problem, much less to solve it.

Reasons why gas is turned off

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

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

In the bill for consumed gas, you should read not only the indicators, but also additional conditions - you will be able to avoid “surprises”

The activities of fuel suppliers are regulated by Art. 546 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.

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

With notification to the consumer

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

Gas will not be withdrawn without notice if the situation meets any of the following:

• the owners did not enter into a contract for servicing the gas supply system;
• gas equipment does not meet technical standards, but there is no conclusion of a special commission on this matter yet;
• gas appliances and communications are not suitable for use in the region;
• tenants have not paid 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's standard operating life has expired.

The right to turn off the gas appears 20 days after submitting such a notice. Sending by mail is not the best option for residents, 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.

Some residents are simply afraid of scammers dressed in uniform - the example of a Mosgaz employee shows what a real gas equipment mechanic looks like and what he should do

After the 20-day period, fuel supply is suspended. In the worst case, they may be cut off from the gas supply system.

Sudden gas cut

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

Intentional and emergency shutdowns occur due to serious problems with the equipment:

• a special commission established the non-compliance of gas appliances with technical requirements, as well as the likelihood of an accident;
• there is a gas leak;
• there are malfunctions in the gas communications of the house inside or outside;
• There was an accident at a gas distribution station.

When the problems associated with the first three points are resolved, residents will receive the right to supplies in full. The supplier will comply with this condition within 3 working days.

First, the problem must be completely eliminated, then report it gas company, and only then the deadline will begin to count down.

Allowing an authorized employee access to gas equipment means taking care of your own safety, and temporarily turning off gas is not such a big problem

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

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

Supplier disconnection procedure

The procedure and schedule for repayment of debt and the rights of the supplier are determined, among other things, clause 2 and clause 119 of Art. 345 Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Paragraph 2 refers to stopping/suspension of gas supply, and paragraph 119 refers to temporary suspension. The supplier is obliged to deliver Art. 549 Civil Code by postal order or in person. A fixed schedule of possible shutdowns is attached to the document.

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

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

Conscientious payers sometimes see cut off communications in their apartment building - they can turn off both part of the house and the entire building

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

Gas may be cut off to specific apartments, and if the second notice is ignored, they may be cut off from the gas network altogether. The first option means suspension or disconnection on a permanent basis, the second means that communications will then have to be restored. Gas can be cut off to the entire apartment building (MCD).

Voluntary refusal of gas

Paragraph 51 Decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 549 states that consumers have the right to terminate gas supply agreements unilaterally. Customers only pay for all gas that has not yet been paid for, and work to turn off the equipment.

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

The law does not allow independent dismantling of gas equipment, because this is a risk for the entire house: inconvenience, accidental shutdown of other apartments, in the worst case, an explosion. You cannot interfere with the operation of the system even in a private building. Violation of this norm will result in a fine being added to the costs.

Over the past 10 years, electric stoves have partially replaced gas stoves, but electric devices have plenty of disadvantages: when there is no light, you can’t cook food

To stop the gas supply to the apartment as quickly as possible and without violations, you should contact the HOA or management company. The competent authorities will provide information about the legality of certain manipulations. Right trim or move gas pipes Only licensed workers have it.

Where should I start?

The first step is to contact the management company or HOA. They will help you draw up an application to refuse gas and tell you about the nuances of replacing gas devices with electric ones. There you can also familiarize yourself with the procedure for suspending gas supplies for residents of apartment buildings.

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 is no gas payment arrears;
• documents for the apartment where gas is supplied.

Giving up gas is sometimes accompanied by difficulties.Apartment buildings are part of the housing stock, so you will need permission from the management company: usually the employees are cooperative and help in resolving issues, but different things can happen. Without the consent of the co-owners of the apartment, the matter will not move forward at all.

How long will the shutdown take?

This will take a little more than a month, if there are no delays.

The main process consists of 4 stages:

1. Inspection of equipment by a gas service employee.
2. Drawing up a drawing.
3. Conclusion of a contract for the performance of work.
4. Paying the bill.

After this, the work itself begins - this is a purely technical issue. Sections of the pipe are removed, and the remaining holes are tightly welded. The wait for the brigade to arrive is on average 20 days. At the same time, the more complex stage of document approval takes 5 days.

The work of specialists in dismantling gas pipes will also slow down the transition of housing to electrical equipment. These two processes usually occur simultaneously.

Gas shutoff cost

The cost will vary from region to region. Prices can be found at the territorial gas service office at the location of the apartment building or on the official website. The gas supplier charges money for a crew to come out and cut the lowering on the gas device - the part of the pipe through which fuel is supplied to the stove or other device.

Deviations in the operation of gas supply systems

We are talking about malfunctions in gas communications. They cause the supply to be suspended without warning and within a short period of time. Failures can be detected even years later.

The image shows simple rules for using and caring for gas appliances (stove) to increase their service life

So, the problems and their causes:

• disruptions in the operation of the system as a result of rearrangement of equipment not according to the rules or due to unauthorized intervention;
• incorrect operation of the automatic fuel supply shut-off system exceeding the permissible deviation limits - in cases where prompt repair is impossible;
• the equipment is dismantled or faulty and cannot be repaired;
• failure to comply with regulations regarding the operation of gas appliances;
• unauthorized installation of gas pipelines in violation of standards;
• connection to the general distribution system without permission;
• operation of gas appliances in the event of an irreparable gas leak.

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

Illegal gas shutoff

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 02/05/1998 and Government Decree No. 549 dated July 21, 2008.

They also work together 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 sphere of public services and safety measures when operating gas equipment.

Regulatory legal acts regulate the principles of supply and pricing, the issue of social guarantees. Contracts are drawn up and executed in accordance with these documents. The state accepted them, first of all, in the interests of household consumers.

Possible situations of illegal shutdown:

• disconnection from the gas distribution system on any basis not prescribed by law;
• shutdown by a party not included in the maintenance agreements;
• due to circumstances for which the gas company is to blame;
• based on debt owed by a small percentage of all subscribers;
• due to denial of access to equipment if residents were not at home;
• without mandatory notification;
• without meeting deadlines.

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

Due to damage during the heating season, especially in winter, equipment may require expensive repairs, so the likelihood of shutdown will be lower

You should assert your rights first orally and then in writing. The supplier can ignore the complaint, but then 3 options will immediately appear: to the consumer rights supervision service, 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 stopped. This takes up to 2 months if the problem is technical. The consumer eliminates all problems, pays off the debt, and only then can he submit information and write an application to renew the service.

The client should come to the company’s office and write an application in 2 copies. The application must contain:

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

Receipts for payment for gas and measures for its voluntary shutdown are also added to the application.

Government Decree No. 549 in paragraph 48 obliges the supplying company to begin supplying gas 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 shutdown. Repairers do their part of the job if a breakdown occurs, 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 using issued receipts.
3. We present the payment certificate to the contractor.
4. We express our wishes regarding the timing.

The process of reconnecting to the gas network has its own subtleties. If the supply was stopped by the company due to external factors, then restoration should occur once these particular problems are resolved. He has no right to refuse gas supply for other reasons.

Sometimes a third party is at fault: someone can throw snow off the roof and damage the pipe - then you should contact the housing office

Pricing is included in the list of powers of the gas supplier, be it a state, municipal or private organization. This also applies to connection services. Apartment buildings are mainly served by Gorgaz.

The payment for connection/disconnection is borne by the guilty party. Gorgaz will pay for the connection if the damage occurred due to emergency workers.

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

Unexpected gas supply interruption

Accidents, interruptions, and freezing sometimes occur in gas networks. A sudden stop in gas supply will most likely occur at an inconvenient moment, although there is nothing good in deliberate shutdowns.

The first thing residents think about is safety: they go to their neighbors and find out whether an isolated incident occurred or not. As a rule, there is nothing to be afraid of, because supplier companies carry out scheduled repairs and replacement of equipment from time to time.

The reason for the shutdown may be scheduled work: restoring pipes and laying new gas lines takes from several hours to several days

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. It is in this order if no information was received from the previous authority.

The emergency service will tell you about an accident in the gas network. Perhaps they will tell you the reasons. Either way, they should start checking.

The emergency service is obliged to inspect the gas pipeline in a short time, if it does not have information about the reasons for the stoppage of traffic in the pipes, the preparation for departure itself should take no more than 5 minutes

Secondly, they turn to the Housing Office or the Housing and Communal Services Department - that’s what management companies call themselves. If it was not possible to find out anything by calling 104, then the management company will probably report planned work and a corresponding notification. Apartment owners do not always receive a notice if it was not posted at the entrance to the entrance.

The service provider is unlikely to have to call.The first two authorities notify about upcoming work, but the company itself may not know the answer to other questions. Especially if an accident occurs in a remote place. If something happens, the supplier's contact details can be found on the receipt.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

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

Problems, common cases in practice and recommendations on how to avoid them:

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

Gas supply may be suspended for a 2-month delay or for safety reasons. At the same time, accidents on gas pipelines cause trouble for both customers and suppliers. To balance the rights of both market participants, laws and regulations were adopted. They were supplemented and improved.

There is a clear procedure for stopping the gas supply and connecting it. In addition, consumers and supply companies have legitimate reasons to take specific steps. Russia also has a multidisciplinary service for supervision in the field of consumer protection. This is one of the structures where you can complain if the gas is turned off or illegally denied its connection.

Share your experience in the comments and don’t hesitate to ask about the nuances. Your particular case may exactly coincide with the situation of another site visitor. Tell us about how you resolved the gas supply issue or what steps you are taking to achieve this now.