Pay less for utilities. How to pay less for utilities? Saving on water, electricity and heating in a private home

Housing and communal services increase the cost of their own services every year. To ensure that most of your budget is not spent on paying for an apartment, you should think about how to save money.

You can also think about installing metering devices that will help avoid unnecessary costs for paying rent.

There are a large number of options to solve this problem:

1. You can reduce the number of people registered in a given living space. But such a method will lead to disagreements with relatives;
2. To reduce the rent, you can register a person who has benefits to pay the rent. However, in the case when a person has absolutely no place to live, he will have to share the free space;
3. You can get a subsidy. It will be possible to take it in the case when the payment for utilities will be more than half of the total income of the people living in the apartment.

There are many ways. However, they are addressing the issue to reduce the rent for only one family.

There is one fairly effective method that is suitable for solving the communal issue of all residents of a multi-storey building, but only if they act together. The whole point is that services for the maintenance and repair of public property in a high-rise building are paid for.

Reduced payment

So how else can you save money and pay less for utility bills in addition to the above methods:

• Electricity bills. To do this, you will need to use devices that will consume less energy. When choosing household appliances in a store, pay close attention to the energy consumption class of the device. It is best to take those with A, A+, A++. There will undoubtedly be a price difference, but it will quickly pay for itself over years of use. The same should be done with lighting. Use only energy saving light bulbs. They will perfectly work out their own cost due to saved energy and long service life.

Do not ignore the “sleep modes” and “standby modes” that many devices have recently been equipped with. At such moments, the energy supply does not end, but remains as it was. You should unplug all unnecessary electrical outlets when you are away for a few days.

• Heating bill. In this matter, the main thing is good insulation of the living space. The door leading to the balcony should not produce drafts, and if your financial situation allows, it is best to install plastic windows. If this is not possible, the frames are insulated for the winter in the old-fashioned way. A door or window that has not been insulated is a kind of hole into which funds from the family budget slowly leak;
• Water service bills. Initially, it is best to install meters, and after installing them, get used to constant savings. It is worth loading the washing machine with maximum loads of clothes, as this saves not only water, but also electricity. The tap should be turned off when soaping dishes. There is no need to keep the water running while brushing your teeth. Water bills are among the most gluttonous;
• If you speak little on your home phone, you can refuse the unlimited tariff. It's even better to use Skype, since you don't have to pay for all calls;
• You can also ask for a recalculation of the rent if at least one family member has not been home for more than 5 days. You will need to write a corresponding application and bring documents confirming this fact. This document could well serve as a travel document, a certificate from a hospital, a train or plane ticket, bills for staying at a hotel, or a regular certificate of temporary registration;
• Extract. It happens that there are people registered in the apartment who have not lived in the apartment for a long time. They may be relatives who are no longer alive or who have simply moved. You should just go and check them out of the apartment, which will give you the opportunity to save additional money.

You should know that the discharge of such residents can only be done through the court if there is no consent. A very real case is when the apartment has already been privatized, but the person who left does not have a lifelong right to live there, that is, he himself refused the privatization process.

Why pay for something that doesn't exist?

Why pay for services you don't receive? If, for example, the water in your home is not hot, but lukewarm.

In this case, you should call a housing cooperative services employee and make a claim. The second copy is certified by the housing cooperative, and if the recalculation is refused, a claim must be filed in court. After this, you should pay less for hot water supply.

Lawyers say that it is best to apply such a plan at any time when the housing cooperative refuses to fulfill its obligations. Then you will have a reputation as a person who is not silent and all services will be performed at the appropriate level.

The third option applies only to those families who have benefits or who can take advantage of a subsidy for utility bills.

This category includes:

1. Families whose communal services take more than 15% of their income, and for families with disabled citizens - 10%;
2. Families with disabled people of the first and second groups, as well as children under 18 years of age. In this case, monthly income should not exceed 50% of the subsistence minimum for one person;
3. Families with a large number of children, who are legally entitled to a discount (which allows you to save on utilities in an amount of no less than 50%);
4. Included are all kinds of veterans, children of war, participants in the liquidation of the Chernobyl accident, rural teachers and doctors, as well as people who have lost their breadwinner.

What to do next

In the case where the benefits in your case relate to the first two points, you should go to the commission located at the district administration and give them the three necessary papers:

• A statement indicating the subsidy that the main tenant is counting on. Personal account numbers and names along with addresses of those organizations that provide public utility services are also entered;
• Declaration of income. You should know that if during the last year you have made a purchase for a large amount or you earn money by renting out an apartment, then you will not receive a subsidy;
• A certificate of your own income from your place of work.

When you want to receive a benefit that will allow you to save on utility bills, as a family with a large number of children, in order to save, you should also bring the birth certificate of each individual child, which will reduce the cost of services.

For special categories, the list of documents for receiving benefits that will help you save without extra costs will be much longer. You can find out what it includes from your district administration.

Tips Why do you need meters, why you should pay attention to eco-class equipment, how windows and motion sensors help save electricity - a detailed guide for those who want to save their own money Are you tired of overpaying for housing and communal services? We provide step-by-step instructions on how to reduce costs for water, heating, gas and electricity. More than two dozen of the most practical and effective tips. Save on electricity 1. Install multi-tariff meters. They are especially beneficial for those people who are rarely at home during the day, go to bed late or get up very early - in a word, they consume electricity more often at night (from 23.00 to 7.00). – after all, night electricity tariffs are several times lower than daytime ones. Advice: do not forget to conclude an agreement with the management company on payment for multi-tariff meters. 2. Replace all lamps with energy-saving ones.

How to pay less for an apartment?

With such meters, energy-consuming appliances (for example, washing machines, dishwashers) can be started at night, when the electricity tariff is much lower. Another way to save on electricity is to replace conventional light bulbs with energy-saving ones, as well as purchase electrical appliances with low energy consumption.

You should not leave devices plugged in at night (TV, laptop, telephone, etc.), and also unnecessarily leave the lights on in the room. Reasonable consumption of these types of resources will also help you save on paying bills for gas and water. It is important to pay invoices on time so that late fees are not charged.

This will also help you avoid unnecessary expenses. In addition, it is better to pay for received receipts using methods that charge a lower commission (for example, through terminals or the Internet).

You can pay less for your apartment if you know how.

Poverty threshold Maximum income of a Moscow family, which gives the right to receive a subsidy for housing and communal services Family composition, persons. Total income, rub. 1 12,193.20 2 19,637.70 3 27,764.10 4 37,018.80 5 46,273.50 6 56,528.20 Attention: you need to confirm your right to subsidies twice a year, otherwise their accrual will stop.

DISORDER! According to the law, in case of violation of the conditions and procedure for the provision of public services, their recipients, that is, you and me, are entitled to compensation, that is, a refund for services not provided or services of inadequate quality.

How to save on rent and utilities

Convenient for those who traveled by car and stayed with friends or rented housing from private owners without a contract. Recalculation will be made based on how many people left the apartment. Therefore, there must be a separate document for each household member, or all names are listed in one certificate.

THE POWER - TO THE POOR Families whose incomes do not reach a certain level (each region has its own level) can count on subsidies for utility bills. Previously, citizens in need of social protection were simply reduced in the amount of payments, but starting this year, material assistance was transferred to the form of cash compensation, that is, the final monetization of benefits took place.

How to pay less for utilities

Attention

Think about how you can solve this situation.

How to pay for utilities if it is slightly less than your salary?

Info

Do you think it doesn't matter? If you use cookware that fits the size of the burners, you will direct all the energy to quickly cooking food, and not to heating the kitchen area. And one more thing - choose electronic appliances with thermostats. Such a small detail will allow you to save up to 30 percent in energy consumption.

Save on heating Heating is a significant part of the cost of an apartment. Especially in cold weather, when you have to pay sometimes colossal amounts of bills.

How to optimize this expense item? The first thing that is really worth doing is to insulate the apartment:

• install plastic windows, preferably double-chamber ones with a distance between double-glazed windows of 12 millimeters. This will allow you to save up to 50% of heat. If finances do not allow installing such windows, think about insulation in the fall.

How to pay less for an apartment: nuances and ways to save

• citizen's identity document;
• a document proving that a citizen belongs to a certain category of beneficiaries;
• certificate of absence of debt for housing complex services;
• a document describing the composition of the family;
• a certificate showing the size of the living space;
• documents for housing.

To apply for a subsidy you must prepare:

• copies of passports of all family members, birth certificates of minors;
• documents proving the relationship of family members;
• documents for residential premises (certificate of ownership/lease agreement);
• certificates of family composition;
• certificates of income for each family member;
• a document from the BTI on the size of the living space;
• certificate of absence of debt to housing and communal services.

The presented list of documents is approximate.

Maintaining a family budget: how to pay less for utilities

Saving on heating 1. Install a communal heat meter. Due to old pipes, poor insulation and leaks, sometimes there is excessive heat consumption, which is paid from the wallets of all residents of the house.

Installing a common house meter will avoid this situation. Remember that the issue is resolved exclusively through an agreement with the management company.
2. Do not give up the thermostat on radiators. This will not only reduce costs, but will also make it possible to adjust a comfortable temperature in the apartment.
A few more tips from InMyRoom 1. If you have a gas line...

If the dispatcher is aware of the problem, he is obliged to inform you of the reasons for the problems and make a note about this in the application log (this mark is the basis for recognizing the fact of a violation of the provision of utility services), but if not, an inspection must be carried out and a report must be drawn up, which is provided for your signature. With this document you can go to the accounting department of the utility service provider and demand a recalculation.

In case of refusal, there is a direct road to court. If problems with electricity, gas or water supply result in harm to health or material damage, then compensation for moral and material damage can be sought through the court. There are such precedents: an increase in voltage in the network disabled the household appliances of the residents of one house, their claim was satisfied, and compensation was paid.

Three saving rules will help you pay less for your apartment

Thus, you can reduce utility bills in various ways. Registration of a subsidy or benefit will help you save a significant part of your family budget.
But only certain categories of citizens can take advantage of this type of assistance. But it is up to each of us to treat the supplied resources with care, pay rent on time and carefully study receipts for services.

This video will show you how to pay less for housing and communal services: Did you notice a mistake? Select it and press Ctrl+Enter to let us know. Tell your friends! Share with your friends! Write about this material on social networks using the buttons below.

How to pay less for utilities?

Absolutely all electrical appliances operating in standby mode consume electricity. This means that the TV, computer and other electronics “pulls” money from your budget even when you are not at home.

To stop wastefulness, do not be lazy to turn off everything from the network; also remember that even if the charger is not connected to the device, but plugged into the outlet, it also causes your electric meter to add kilowatts.

• We install motion sensors. An adult will learn to press the switch button every time he leaves the room over a long period of time. In order not to waste precious resources while you develop a useful habit, you can use motion sensors; they can turn off the lights on their own when they leave the room.
• We buy energy-saving equipment.

A good reason for receiving a recalculation may be poor water quality, low room temperature at the height of the heating season, lukewarm water from a hot tap, or untimely garbage collection. In addition, it is necessary to require recalculation in situations where the management company charges for services that are not performed or that the citizen does not need.

Saving on rent Some household tricks allow you to save money. One of the most effective ways to significantly reduce the monthly rent is the reasonable use of supplied resources, as well as the installation of individual devices for their metering. Installing two-tariff or multi-tariff meters will help you save on electricity bills.

Business lawyer > Housing and communal services issues > Utilities > How to pay less for an apartment: nuances and ways to save

In search of how to save the family budget, citizens often resort to utter extremes, while ignoring the available ways to save their money. A striking example of this is the receipt of benefits and other concessions in terms of payment for housing and communal services.

More details on how to pay less for an apartment will be discussed in the article below.

When can you reduce the cost of utilities for an apartment?

Is it possible to reduce utility bills? Photo No. 1

Every year the cost of utility services in Russia is growing steadily. Not every family can afford such a luxury, namely, paying for utilities in the amount of 10-20% of the family budget. This phenomenon often causes dissatisfaction among citizens, and it is often justified.

If ordinary people are not able to change tariffs, then many of them can get some relief in paying for housing and communal services and, most importantly, if possible.

Most often, citizens seek to reduce the cost of their “utilities” for an apartment for the following reasons:

• low quality of services provided (dirty tap water, lack of hot water supply, heating failures, etc.);
• the cost of services is too high for them and they are unable to bear such financial expenses;
• citizens have already been notified of their preferential status and want to take advantage of it (there is a disabled person in the family, the family is recognized as low-income, etc.).

Otherwise, there is a considerable risk of having to bear responsibility before the law, and not always civilly.

Read also: How much does it cost to connect electricity to a site?

Ways to get benefits and various types of concessions to pay for utilities

How to get benefits or subsidies for utility bills? Photo No. 2

As mentioned earlier, you can get benefits and other concessions to pay for utility bills in a number of situations. Today, legislation allows you to reduce the cost of utilities for an apartment in the following ways:

• First of all, install items to account for the resources coming into your home (electricity, water, gas, etc.). Often, housing management companies (HMCs) round them up when calculating monthly bills, as a result of which citizens have to overpay for utilities. By installing ordinary meters, you can not only control the integrity of the ZHK activities, but also save up to 30% on utility bills.
• Secondly, when leaving your apartment somewhere for a long period of time (more than 1-2 weeks), be sure to notify your BUG about this either before leaving or after. You can use a travel document, an extract from a sanatorium, hotel bills and similar papers for this purpose. ZHUK is obliged to recalculate for some services that were not used by you at the time of departure. As a rule, recalculation allows you to save up to 20% on utility bills.
• Third, be sure to review your utility pay stubs. If there are any services there that you do not use or do not provide to you, ask ZHUK to exclude them from the list starting next month. Very often, management organizations include in the list of public utilities unnecessary and unused radio points or cleaning of entrances, which brings them considerable profit, which in fact is made out of thin air. By eliminating unused or not provided services, it becomes possible to save up to 30% on utility bills.
• Fourth, try to get benefits or subsidies for utility bills. The list of persons who can count on this is quite wide. The most common benefits for utilities are:

• families whose utilities eat up 15% of their income;
• families that include disabled people;
• families with disabled people;
• low-income families who have officially received this status;
• large families;
• veterans or children of WWII and other military operations;
• citizens who have lost their breadwinners or are in public service.

Read also: Why is timely checking of the electric meter necessary?

The amount of relief varies from 10 to 60% of the total cost of utilities. You can obtain or find out about such an opportunity regarding benefits for paying for utility bills at the Housing Administration and the social security authorities at your place of residence.

• And fifthly, just carefully monitor the amount of resources consumed, save them if possible and make sure that the factors that provoke inflated costs of utilities are neutralized in the early stages of manifestation. For example, you can sign citizens out of your apartment who do not live there, not use services you don’t need, and do similar things. This approach to business will allow you to save up to 20% of the cost of a “utility apartment”.

The nuances of saving money on housing and communal services

Tips for those who want to save on utility bills. Photo No. 4

Using the previously presented ways to save money on utilities, you can significantly save your family budget. The greatest efficiency can be achieved if you know all the nuances of measures to reduce the cost of utilities.

In fact, such a procedure is quite simple to implement, but it is also not without its peculiarities. The most important of these are presented below:

• Never be afraid to refuse services that you do not use or that are provided to you in poor quality or not provided at all. ZhUK is obliged to respond to such wishes and demands of citizens. If the organization’s employees ignore you, be sure to complain about them first to the local police department and then to the prosecutor’s office.
• When applying for benefits to pay for utilities or applying for a reduction in it to authorized organizations, do not forget that your position must be supported by documents. At a minimum, it is important to have with you the appropriate application, declaration or certificate of income, documents confirming your preferential status, and similar papers.
• If you encounter difficulties in the process of organizing savings on utilities, be sure to contact professionals for help. An experienced lawyer, for a small fee, can provide a very high-quality consultation on an issue that interests you, so much so that the costs of his services will quickly be recouped.

You can find out tips on how to legally avoid paying for hot water supply and heating of an apartment by watching the video:

Read also: What does the abbreviation HVS DPU mean?

Source: http://PravoZhil.com/zhkh/uslugi/kak-platit-menshe.html

Maintaining a family budget: how to pay less for utilities

Legal advice > Civil law > Maintaining the family budget: how to pay less for utilities

Every year it becomes more and more difficult for the average Russian family to pay bills for housing and communal services, which are growing much faster than citizens’ salaries and pensions. Payments for utility services “eat up” a huge part of the family budget, forcing ordinary people to limit themselves in meeting significant needs.

Trying to find a way out of this situation, citizens are asking the question: how to pay less for utilities without violating the norms of Russian legislation? You can find out the answer to this question by reading this article.

How to save on utilities?

For many families, paying utility bills is unaffordable...

There are several possible ways to reduce utility bills:

1. registration of benefits or subsidies for payment of housing and communal services;
2. receiving a recalculation for improperly provided utility services;
3. economical handling of provided resources (gas, water, electricity);
4. establishing control over the activities of the management company and the list of services it provides.

Let's take a closer look at each of the listed saving methods.

Registration of benefits and subsidies

One of the most profitable ways to reduce fees on bills issued for utility services provided is to receive benefits and subsidies. But only certain categories of citizens can take advantage of these concessions.

Before you begin the procedure for applying for these types of subsidies, you should understand the difference between the concepts of “benefit” and “subsidy.” The list of persons entitled to benefits, as well as the percentage of payments, are established at the legislative level.

When calculating this subsidy, the income level of citizens and the area of ​​living space are not taken into account. Thus, in order to apply for a discount on payment for housing and communal services, it is enough to simply belong to a certain category of persons who are entitled to this discount.

Payments are calculated over the past period of time (3 years). All needy citizens of the Russian Federation (as well as Belarusians and Kyrgyz) who provide the authorized body with a certain package of documents confirming their difficult financial situation can receive a subsidy. Financial assistance is paid in advance for the next six months.

Who benefits from utility benefits?

You can try to apply for subsidies

The following can count on payment of this type of subsidy:

• WWII participants, home front workers, residents of besieged Leningrad, concentration camp prisoners;
• citizens injured as a result of a nuclear power plant accident or taking part in the liquidation of its consequences;
• members of a family that has received the status of a large family;
• disabled people;
• orphans;
• citizens awarded the title “Hero of Labor of the USSR or the Russian Federation”, holders of the Order of Glory and Labor Glory;
• families of employees with three or more citizens in their care;
• Honorary Donors of Russia or the USSR.

If their financial situation is poor, these beneficiaries can additionally receive a subsidy to pay for utilities.

Who is entitled to a subsidy to pay for housing and communal services?

Citizens of the Russian Federation, as well as Belarusians and Kyrgyz living in our country, can receive a discount on utility bills. The main indicator of receiving a subsidy is the level of income.

Families who spend more than 22% of the family budget on utility bills will be able to receive financial support (this figure depends on the specific region of the Russian Federation, so it can be significantly less). This takes into account the square footage of the living space, as well as the minimum wage.

In addition, assistance is provided only if:

• the owner of the residential premises in which the citizen in need of assistance lives is the municipality or the state Housing Fund;
• the apartment rented by the applicant under a rental agreement is the property of a private housing stock;
• the citizen is a member of a housing or housing construction union;
• the residential premises are owned by a citizen in need of a subsidy.

Assistance will be refused:

1. foreign citizens (except for citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Belarus);
2. persons in debt to utility service providers;
3. citizens living in an apartment under a free use agreement;
4. disabled citizens who have entered into a life annuity agreement.

How to apply for the required benefits and subsidies?

Another option is to recalculate

To obtain financial assistance, you must submit an application to the authorized body. This could be the MFC, the department of social protection of the population, or the City Center for Housing Subsidies. A certain package of documents must be attached to the application.

The list of required documents to receive benefits includes:

• citizen's identity document;
• a document proving that a citizen belongs to a certain category of beneficiaries;
• certificate of absence of debt for housing complex services;
• a document describing the composition of the family;
• a certificate showing the size of the living space;
• documents for housing.

To apply for a subsidy you must prepare:

• copies of passports of all family members, birth certificates of minors;
• documents proving the relationship of family members;
• documents for residential premises (certificate of ownership/lease agreement);
• certificates of family composition;
• certificates of income for each family member;
• a document from the BTI on the size of the living space;
• certificate of absence of debt to housing and communal services.

The presented list of documents is approximate. To obtain complete information, you must contact the authorized body at your place of residence.

Please remember that a family can only receive one subsidy. Help is provided within six months. After this period, you must again collect all the necessary documents to receive the subsidy.

Receiving recalculation

If utility services are provided improperly, citizens have the right to request a recalculation. This is only possible if there is real evidence of a dishonest attitude towards their responsibilities by management companies and suppliers of resources important for normal life (water, gas, electricity).

When submitting an application, it is important to act within the framework of Russian legislation and be guided by established standards that the provided utility services must comply with.

A good reason for receiving a recalculation may be poor water quality, low room temperature at the height of the heating season, lukewarm water from a hot tap, or untimely garbage collection.

In addition, it is necessary to require recalculation in situations where the management company charges for services that are not performed or that the citizen does not need.

Saving on rent

Some household tricks can help you save money

One of the most effective ways to significantly reduce your monthly rent is to use the supplied resources wisely, as well as install individual meters to account for them.

Installing two-tariff or multi-tariff meters will help you save on electricity bills. With such meters, energy-consuming appliances (for example, washing machines, dishwashers) can be started at night, when the electricity tariff is much lower.

Another way to save on electricity is to replace conventional light bulbs with energy-saving ones, as well as purchase electrical appliances with low energy consumption. You should not leave devices plugged in at night (TV, laptop, telephone, etc.), and also unnecessarily leave the lights on in the room.

Reasonable consumption of these types of resources will also help you save on paying bills for gas and water.

It is important to pay invoices when due to avoid late fees. This will also help you avoid unnecessary expenses.

In addition, it is better to pay for received receipts using methods that charge a lower commission (for example, through terminals or the Internet).

Thus, you can reduce utility bills in various ways. Registration of a subsidy or benefit will help you save a significant part of your family budget.

But only certain categories of citizens can take advantage of this type of assistance.

But it is up to each of us to treat the supplied resources with care, pay rent on time and carefully study receipts for services.

This video will show you how to pay less for housing and communal services:

Noticed a mistake? Select it and press Ctrl+Enter to let us know.

Source: http://JuristPomog.com/civil/kak-platit-menshe-za-kommunalnye.html

Saving on housing and communal services - we will not allow unreasonable fees

The monthly growth in utility bills significantly outpaces the growth in the level of income of the Russian population: although tariffs for housing and communal services are growing slower than official inflation, the growth of pensions and salaries does not keep up with the tariffs and citizens are forced more and more often to think about how to pay less for housing and communal services.

Moreover, it will no longer be a secret to anyone that the housing and communal services sector is often used for all kinds of abuses, therefore restoring fairness in determining prices for housing and communal services is always a very important, but at the same time difficult task.

That is why residents should not relax - if there are suspicions about the transparency of the decisions of the general meetings of an apartment building, they should be active and monitor the building council and the management company.

In other words, the price for housing and communal services in your home largely depends on the decency and correctness of the work of your management company.

We do not claim that all management companies are dishonest. We argue that objective control by residents of the work of any management company will benefit both the residents of the building and will teach the management company to work better, make its work more open and, ultimately, improve the market for housing and communal services.

How to prevent illegal charges for housing and communal services and save:

Request representatives of the homeowners association or management company to provide invoices for payments to resource supply companies. The general account will help you calculate how much money you personally have to pay.

The audit commission must be held accountable when it audits the expenses of an HOA or management company. If overspending is identified, the case materials should be forwarded to law enforcement agencies. No additional items of money expenditure - only those approved at the general meeting!

You have every right to submit applications to law enforcement agencies about illegal actions of the HOA or management company or resource supplying organization (payment for a non-working elevator, etc.).
If you find a payment for housing and communal services in the mail, first check the account number and then pay.

House management authority

According to experts, if corruption in the housing and communal services sector is eliminated, the amount of payments will be half as much.

Complaints about the work of the management company or the board of the HOA are filed with the state housing inspection authorities, Rospotrebnadzor, and the prosecutor's office.

And we all need to more often ask and demand reporting from the HOA or management company regarding the distribution of funds they received for paying for services. An active life position and the absence of indifferent people will help change the situation.

For convenience, you can look at articles on how you can save on paying for heat, water, gas and electricity in other sections of the site.

Still have questions? Do you want answers to them?

Here you can ask a question free of charge to the experts or lawyers of the gkh-konsultant.ru portal.

Source: https://www.energo-konsultant.ru/sovets/GKH/kak_sekonomit_na_uslugax_gkh/kak_platit_menshe_za_uslugi_gkh/

Utilities: how to pay less

Many people mistakenly believe that housing and communal services belong to a system in which it is better to pay money than to try to figure out what exactly it is being spent on. However, this is not the case. Housing and communal services are the sphere of providing services to the population and legal entities.

What do you do when you don't like the service at a cafe? That's right, you're complaining.

What's stopping us from doing the same if the utility company charges us more money than we need or bills us for services it doesn't provide?

Ways to save on housing and communal services

There are many ways to save on housing and communal services. For example, you can save on electricity, water, heating and services that we do not use. In each specific case this is done differently. Below we will look at several ways that will allow everyone to significantly reduce their utility costs.

Saving on electricity bills

As a rule, most people have a single-tariff light meter installed in their apartments and private houses. It can be replaced with a multi-tariff one. The purchase and installation of such a meter will cost from 2 to 5 thousand rubles. Despite the fact that you will have to spend a certain amount at the beginning, this will allow you to save up to 25% on electricity bills every month.

Don't believe me? Now we will try to explain. In a regular meter, kilowatts are multiplied by a certain tariff, for example, for Moscow it is 4.5. At the same time, a multi-tariff meter performs the same actions, only taking into account the time of day. So, in the named counter from 7:00 in the morning until 23:00 in the evening, the coefficient is 4.

53, and from 23:00 to 7:00 this coefficient is already 1.16.

How to replace a single-tariff meter with a multi-tariff meter? The scheme of action here is similar to the installation of water meters. Your actions will have to be coordinated with the management company. After approval, you need to purchase a meter, and then call a specialist who will replace the old device with a new one. The last step is to enter into a new service agreement with the power grid.

Another way to reduce financial costs for electricity is to replace conventional light bulbs with energy-saving ones. This will allow you to save up to 75% on electricity every day. Such light bulbs shine no worse than ordinary ones, but at the same time they consume 5 or even 10 times less electricity.

Today, energy-saving light bulbs are produced in two types:

• luminescent;
• LED

The price of the latter is significantly higher than luminescent ones. But they immediately turn on at full power. If you use fluorescent ones, you will have to wait a while for them to flare up at full strength. In addition, the service life of LEDs is about 6 years.

Before purchasing a particular light bulb, pay attention to its light temperature: it indicates the shade of light it produces.

If you see numbers ranging from 2700 to 3500, then you know that such a light bulb will shine in a warm yellow color.

If you need cool white light, then you need to buy a bulb whose packaging indicates an interval between 4 and 5 thousand. If you need a daylight effect, buy a cutter with numbers over 6 thousand.

Saving on water

Water consumption meters will help to significantly reduce water supply fees. Together with installation, the meter will cost approximately 4 to 6 thousand rubles.

Despite the initial cash outlay, in the future you can save up to 50% on water, depending on your region of residence. Thus, residents of Barnaul can reduce their expenses by almost 16 thousand rubles, while at the same time, residents of Novy Urengoy will pay almost 80 thousand rubles less annually. Not bad!

To install such a meter, you need to contact the management company. There you will receive a water supply diagram, technical conditions for installing the named device, as well as contact details of organizations that have the right to install water supply meters.

The number of meters directly depends on the number of risers. Counting them is not difficult - look at how many shut-off valves you have in your apartment. For example, if there is only one shut-off valve, then you will need to purchase two meters: one for cold water, and the second for hot water.

In the case where we have two shut-off valves, we need to buy four meters.

To install a water meter, call a specialist, who will also seal it. Even if the purchased meter has a factory seal, the specialist will have to put his own seal.

Upon completion of the work, a tripartite act is drawn up, which must be signed by the master who installed the device, as well as the owner of the home and a representative of the company that provides water supply services.

The last step is to contact the management company and conclude an agreement with it to pay for water supply services according to the meter.

Do not forget that the water consumption meter is checked once every 4-6 years. After installing water consumption meters, you can save about 11 thousand rubles.

Savings on services that residents do not use

Look at your receipt. Sometimes it indicates the price for services that you have not used for a long time. For example, an elevator in a multi-story building. Everyone knows very well that they tend to break and not work for a long time.

Or maybe there are no garbage cans near your house or your house has been in need of major repairs for a long time? Undoubtedly, it is difficult, but possible, to return money spent for services not provided.

If you fail to return the funds, you can stop paying for unnecessary services in the future.

In addition, the receipt may indicate services that you are not even aware of. All old houses have radio points. Have you been using them for a long time? But you pay for them. If your receipt indicates an invoice for this service, submit a written application for disconnection to the management organization.

If you often go on business trips or for other reasons are away from home for more than five days, then you have every right to demand a recalculation of utility bills.

Saving on heating

To reduce heating costs, you will also need to install a meter. Yes, its cost is quite high - about 150 thousand rubles. But you must admit that for an apartment building, if all the owners chip in, this amount will not seem that big.

By installing this device, you can save about 30% monthly. Why is this necessary? Quite often the heat does not reach the end consumer in full. It can be lost in basements or boiler rooms where there are leaks or old pipes with poor insulation.

First, you will need to obtain the consent of all apartment owners in the building. After this, you need to contact the management company and get a list of organizations that have the right to install such devices.

If the management company refuses to install a heating meter, you must request a written refusal indicating the reason. After this, you can safely file a claim in court.

It is best to entrust all these litigations to the contractor who will install and commission the heat meter. It would not be a bad idea to oblige the contractor to carry out work on insulating the house. Also check whether all the glass in the entrance is intact and whether the entrance doors are always closed. If not, it turns out that you pay for heating not only your home, but also the street.

Finally, we will give some advice to those who decide to save money on utility bills. As for one apartment itself, no questions arise here. The owner himself makes this or that decision.

But the situation is somewhat more complicated when the consent of all apartment owners is required. If you live in an apartment building, then be sure to enlist the support of all apartment owners.

If at least one of them does not give his consent to carry out certain work, then all your diligence will be in vain. This is best left to the house manager.

Do not be afraid to contact the management company for clarification of certain issues. They are obliged not only to provide us with services, but also to explain why this particular amount needs to be paid.

Study the legislation regularly. With enviable consistency, changes are being made to it that will further reduce financial costs for housing and communal services, which most of us are not even aware of.

It is growing year by year, but there is a real chance to reduce these payments. Below are more than 20 practical and effective tips that will help reduce costs for water, heating, gas and electricity.

Electricity:

1. Multi-tariff meters at home. They are especially beneficial for those who are rarely at home during the day, go to bed late or get up very early - all those who consume electricity more often at night (from 23.00 to 07.00). Electricity costs at night are several times lower than during the day.

Advice: it is important to conclude an agreement for payment using multi-tariff meters.

2. Replacement of all lamps with energy-saving ones. They will help you consume 5-10 times less electricity.

3. High eco-class household appliances. When selecting household assistants, you should also focus on the energy consumption class: to avoid overconsumption, it must be at least A.

4. Regularly turn off electrical appliances; chargers must be removed from sockets. Do not leave the equipment in standby mode for a long time. If the device is not needed in the near future, it is better to turn it off, the same applies to chargers.

5. Motion sensors. They will not only relieve people living in an apartment from the need to turn the lights on and off, but will also help save money (forgotten lights are a serious waste of electricity). An important point: if there are animals in the house, the sensitivity of the sensors must be reduced.

6. Modern windows. Old windows, with cracks and insufficient thermal insulation, seriously increase heat loss, forcing you to turn on the electric heater in winter and the air conditioner in summer. Modern double-glazed windows will correct this situation. Moreover, if necessary, you can select models with an increased level of thermal insulation.

7. Disabling the radio and TV antenna. There is no point in paying for something that is not used in the house. You need to contact the management company and find out the procedure for refusing to use a radio point and a collective television antenna (relevant for those who do not watch TV or pay for the services of other television operators).

8. “Quick programs”. When using your washing machine and dishwasher, it makes sense to choose fast modes whenever possible. This way, the energy costs for a washing course will be reduced by 1.5–2 times.

9. Lighting controls. They will reduce the brightness of light bulbs and reduce costs and provide greater opportunities for lighting design at home. In addition, you must not forget to regularly wipe the light bulbs from dust (otherwise it will seem that the light has become dimmer).

10. Induction hobs. They use the energy of a magnetic field, which heats the cookware itself (and not the burner or the air around it). This allows you to avoid excessive heat consumption. For example, 2 liters of water boils on an induction hob in 5 minutes, while on a glass-ceramic hob it takes about 10 minutes.

Water supply:

1. Counters. On average, installing meters can reduce water supply costs by up to 50%. You need to conclude an agreement with the management company to pay for water according to meters and remember that once every 5 years the devices need to be removed and sent for testing.

If there is only one shut-off valve (and riser), you need to buy two meters: for cold and hot water. If there are two shut-off valves, four meters will be needed.

2. The right mixer. Single-lever faucets are more economical than taps with two valves. Moreover: modern faucets can save water: models equipped with an aeration system consume up to 40% less water, which does not affect the flow rate. Well, if you don’t plan to change your faucet, special faucet attachments will help out.

3. Elimination of leaks. Even just a dripping faucet can increase water wastage per month by 1000 liters, not to mention more serious leaks. You shouldn’t watch how money literally flows away: it is important to fix malfunctions immediately.

4. Shower instead of bath. Taking a shower rather than a bath is much more economical in terms of water consumption.

5. Turn off the water. Taps must be closed if water is not currently being used. This is especially true for regular procedures: brushing your teeth and shaving.

6. Low water consumption dishwasher. Washing dishes by hand requires several times more water than a dishwasher uses.

7. Household habits. There are small household tricks that help you save money. For example, you can water flowers with water that has been used to rinse fruits and vegetables.

Heating:

1. Household heat meter. Due to old pipes, poor insulation and leaks, sometimes there is excessive heat consumption, which is paid from the wallets of all residents of the house. Installing a common house meter will avoid this situation. The issue is resolved exclusively by agreement with the management company.

2. Thermostat on radiators. This will not only reduce costs, but will also make it possible to adjust a comfortable temperature in the apartment.

A few more tips:

1. If there is a gas pipeline in the house, it is worth installing a gas supply meter. In this case, you need to focus on the average level of gas supply when cooking. You can try reducing the cooking time (porridge can “cook” under a closed lid after turning off the stove, and the beneficial properties of vegetables are preserved only if they are not overcooked).

2. In the absence of meters and departure for more than 5 days, you can receive a recalculation for housing and communal services: you just need to provide documents confirming the absence (certificate from a hospital or sanatorium, travel documents, travel certificate, and so on). Recalculation can be obtained for no more than six months of absence. During your departure, you need to turn off the water and turn off electrical appliances; this will not only help you save money, but will also protect your apartment.

3. It is worth carefully studying the procedure for providing benefits for housing and communal services in Russia in general and in the region of residence in particular: pensioners, military families, large families, and disabled people have the right to preferential rates. In some regions - low-income people (if 10 to 20% of family income is spent on paying for housing and communal services), doctors, teachers.

Based on materials from www.inmyroom.ru

Who hasn't thought about how to pay less for utilities? The question has always been relevant, and now even more so. All citizens do not want to receive huge sums in payments for housing and communal services, but to use the saved funds for other purposes. There are people who want to reduce the amount on the receipt not only because of a banal desire to save money, but because of a huge lack of money.

And although advice on saving on utilities has long been heard by many, we will try to summarize the various advice of experts, utility workers and government officials. The main thing is not just to know how you can save money, but also to adhere to these recommendations.

How to save on electricity, gas and water

Everyone is well aware that utilities are a wide range of services provided by a variety of companies. And only thanks to the management organization, residents receive unified consolidated bills for payment. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that savings can be achieved through complex actions: saving on electricity, water, heating, etc.

Let's start with electricity. It is precisely this that every resident of Russia consumes in large quantities. And this is understandable. Thanks to progress and civilization, every apartment has a TV, personal computer, refrigerator, washing machine, etc. Consumption is growing every year, as are payments for the world. But with the right approach, energy costs can be significantly reduced.

Tips on how to save on electricity:

• Install multi-tariff meters. This means that the meter will allow you to distribute the amount of electricity depending on the time of day: from 7.00 to 23.00 and from 23.00 to 7.00. This advice is relevant for those who work a lot from morning to evening, and do all the housework late at night: laundry, washing dishes in the dishwasher, etc. The main thing with such a multi-tariff meter is to enter into an agreement with the management company to pay bills at a double tariff. The night rate is much lower than the day rate.
• If necessary, buy equipment that is characterized as energy efficient. It is best to buy household appliances of class A or higher.
• Replace all light bulbs in the apartment with energy efficient ones. Yes, they cost several times more than conventional lamps, but within the first year they pay for themselves, and in subsequent years of operation they allow you to save 5 times less electricity.
• Don’t be lazy to unplug all electrical appliances. It seems like the lit light on the TV can't do much. But do not forget that there is not one such device in the house.

If you can save on electricity due to the tips presented, then here save on water is possible only with its rational use:

1. Buy a special water nozzle (available at IKEA);
2. Use economical options for water consumption: do not turn on the water completely when washing dishes; use a shower rather than a bath; wash in large volumes, etc.

Regarding gas , then now this is not very relevant for residents of apartment buildings, but only relevant for owners of private houses where gas is used for heating. Accordingly, you can save money when the house is well insulated, has energy-saving windows, etc.

Saving on utility bills while on vacation

You can save on utility bills not only by saving resources, but also by knowing your rights.

For example, did you know that if a person is absent for a certain time, he may partially not pay for utilities. And this is quite correct. The right to recalculation is granted by the absence of a person in the apartment for more than 10 days. The main thing is that there must be supporting documents.

For example, this could be a one-way and return ticket, documents from a hotel, etc.

Regarding the timing, you can notify the management company both in advance and after absence. You must report on the results of your absence from your place of residence no later than 30 days later.

Thus, it turns out that people who live in the country in the summer, go to the sea and other types of recreation, have every right not to pay for the period when they were absent. Although problems may arise here too.

The management company itself may refuse to accept this fact. Especially if the deadline is coming to an end. In this case, if you are refused to accept documents, you can submit them thanks to the Russian Post operator. Simply send the necessary documents to the legal address of the management organization by registered mail. The company will be required to respond to this letter. And, as a rule, the decision will be made in your favor.

In what cases is it permissible to recalculate utility bills:

• If a person left the state or was recovering in a sanatorium. This is the easiest option when most management companies make concessions and recalculate. In this case, supporting documents may be a passport with a note on exit and entry, a certificate from a sanatorium, boarding house, etc.;
• Receiving treatment in a hospital. In case of treatment in a hospital, each patient will be provided with a certificate of completion of the course of treatment. It must be submitted to the Criminal Code. But please note that the certificate must include a phrase stating that the treatment was inpatient.
• Passage of the army. If a person served in the army or was at some military training, then he must ask the military unit for a certificate of the place of service. Based on this certificate, recalculation will be carried out;
• Jail. Staying in places of exclusion also provides the prisoner with the opportunity to receive a housing and communal services recalculation. The basis is a reference.
• Holidays at the dacha. This situation is the most difficult, since for this you need to take a certificate from the village council stating that you have actually been in the country for more than 10 days continuously.
• Seasonal part-time work. If you have a main place of work, but in the summer you went to work part-time in another region, then you can try to get a recalculation for housing and communal services based on a certificate from your main employer stating that you were absent during a certain period.

What will be recalculated for?

But even recalculation by the management company does not guarantee that a citizen will be able to avoid paying for certain services at all. There is a list of utilities for which recalculation is possible and for which not.

In the absence, an individual has the right, upon provision of relevant documents, not to pay for:

1. Hot and cold water;
2. Electricity;
3. Garbage removal;
4. Drainage.

If you look at this list of resources, it becomes clear: most citizens have meters installed for electricity, hot and cold water, gas, etc. Therefore, in their absence, the level of consumption will be correspondingly lower, and the subject will have to pay only for the resources actually consumed.

If you have meters, you do not need to apply for recalculation.

It is advisable to contact only the organization that deals with waste removal.

Recalculation cannot be obtained for heating, since regardless of whether the resident is at home or not, the apartment is heated due to the presence of heating systems in the apartment. The same situation applies to paying for the repair of entrances, cleaning them, etc. The company carries out a full range of work on cleaning the territory and keeping it clean, so it doesn’t care whether there is a resident or not.

If the subject lives but is not registered

Many residents of the Russian Federation have one place of registration, but live in another place. This is normal practice for our country. It turns out that at the place of actual residence no one pays for the services that are consumed, for example, cold and hot water (in the absence of meters). Is this kind of savings on utilities legal or not?

Quite. Even if someone writes a complaint, it is acceptable not to have a place of registration at the actual place of residence, if the person visits his registration address at least 3 times a month. Therefore, in fact, he is not obliged to register in a new place and pay for the services of public utilities.

Another thing is that if an apartment building has common meters for water, gas and heating consumption, then the neighbors themselves will require you to register your place of residence. This is due to the fact that the total indicators of the counters are divided equally among everyone. If you refuse to participate in paying the bills, your neighbors may go to court.