On June 1st, 2013 a new procedure for calculating utility bill assessment starts operating in Russia

On June 1st, 2013 a new procedure for calculating utility bill assessment starts operating in Russia. At the same time, Head of the Audit Chamber Sergei Stepashin sent to the Government a proposal to fix utility rates for three years.

Taking into account the upcoming changes, the apartment owners who have metering devices installed, will have to pay not only for what they have actually consumed. They will have to pay for the water consumed by tenants of apartments without metering devices installed, and for the resources for common housing needs.

The changes can influence the payment for heating. A new scheme excluding the payment for the unheated period is offered, but as soon as the battery temperature rises, the owner will have to pay about 40% more than the amounts currently accrued for heating. With the current system the payment for heating is evenly distributed over the entire year.