Who should pay for the replacement of the electricity meter in the apartment and house

Over time, the equipment that records electrical energy breaks down due to the high load on the power grid, becomes obsolete, the prescribed service life expires, or it becomes necessary to install a more advanced and functional multi-tariff meter. It will not be possible to do without a replacement procedure. However, you cannot simply remove old equipment and install new equipment. The order of operations is spelled out in various legislative documents and must meet certain requirements. They indicate who should change the electricity meter and who bears the costs of the services provided.

What is regulated

Periodic inspection and maintenance activities must be carried out by the CM (management company) and the energy sales organization. If it is necessary for one reason or another to change the electricity meter, then the process is carried out in accordance with the procedure established by law, namely:

• Art. 210 and 543 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation;
• LCD RF;
• Federal Law No.261 and No.102 dated November 23, 2009 and June 26, 2008, respectively;
• State standard of the Russian Federation;
• RF Government Resolutions No 530 and No 491 of August 31, 2006 and August 13, 2006, respectively.

These requirements are valid for the current year. If at any stage the regulations are not complied with, the owner will be held administratively liable.

Who changes and at whose expense

Replacing electric meters is not a single procedure, it is performed quite often. The relevance of the situation and lack of knowledge of the legal framework give rise to controversial situations. However, the legislation clearly states who should install electricity meters, change them, and also spend money on this procedure.

The defining indicator is the balance sheet ownership of the entire residential building or part of it: which organization or person owns it.

There are several options: the replacement of equipment is paid by the private owner, the management company, or local authorities. Devices with technical malfunction, not passed state verification, mechanically damaged, with a broken seal are replaced. Insufficiently accurate - class 2.5 are changed to more accurate - with class 2.

On the staircase and other common areas

In order to unambiguously determine who should pay for the replacement of the electric meter in the staircase or in other similar premises, it should be clarified that the electrical equipment located in the area used by all residents of an apartment building is often included in the department of the Criminal Code, which means that the Criminal Code performs the payment for operations. There are exceptions if a document concluded between the organization and the tenant states that the cost of replacing equipment in a common area is borne by the tenant.

If a meter is placed on the staircase that takes into account the intra-apartment consumption of electrical energy, often the replacement of the old device is paid for from the owner's funds, although there are exceptions. But the Criminal Code, even if it assumes the costs of the service provided, in some indirect way will force the homeowner to pay for the procedure, for example, by including the costs in the receipt for paying for housing and communal services.

In a privatized apartment

An apartment that a tenant has privatized or received as an inheritance or by an act of donation is private property. Consequently, the replacement of the meter will be paid from the pocket of the owner of the apartment. The reasons that led to the replacement of the device, as well as the initiator of the process, are not taken into account. Perhaps it is a broken device or not conforming to accepted standards, for example, outdated.

In municipal housing

The Civil Code of the Russian Federation determines that the owners of the premises must install and change the electricity meters. But if the replacement is made in the housing of the municipal fund, controversial situations may arise. In particular, an employer who has entered into a social employment contract may be forced to cover the costs, although the law is on his side, because the owner of the home is the municipality, which means that the subscriber is not the responsible tenant, but the Criminal Code. If the Criminal Code insists on its own, it is recommended to complain about it to the housing inspectorate.

At the entrance

Electricity meters at the entrance are common property. This provision is enshrined in the corresponding decree. Therefore, the costs related to their maintenance should be borne by the Criminal Code. However, not everything is clear. The owner of the residential premises and the management company can agree among themselves and document this fact that the obligation to pay for the service rests with the owner of the premises. If there is no provision in the executed agreement that has such a meaning, payment is unambiguously charged to the Criminal Code.

In a private house

The owner pays for the replacement of an electric meter in a private house, since he is the owner. It happens that the payment is collected from the municipality, but only if the house is located in the territory of the municipal sector.

The legislation stipulates that the homeowner is obliged to maintain his property in good condition, and the meter is included in the property. It follows that its replacement on the territory of private ownership is unambiguously paid by the owner. If, however, a device belonging to common house property is to be replaced, this responsibility rests with the Criminal Code.

Who is entitled to a free replacement of the electricity meter

The law stipulates that the costs are borne by the owner of the premises. The difficulty lies only in correctly defining it.

There are times when the replacement procedure is performed free of charge, regardless of who is the owner. The funds are being sought from the state budget. A list of such situations:

• Metering devices are installed and connected to the network, which differ from old meters in characteristics. The implementation of the program may be associated with a change in the requirements for electricity metering.
• At the state level, multi-tariff meters are being introduced into use.
• The replacement is carried out in the premises that are municipal property.

Such situations are rare, but they do occur.

Rules and terms

An owner who has an apartment in an apartment building or a private house is obliged to check when the meter expires. The electricity supplier and management company should be notified shortly before this date. They will send a technician to the owner who will perform the necessary operations. By law, this must happen within 10 days from the date of application.

Missing the date of replacing the meter or using a faulty device is fraught with penalties, as well as recalculation for 3 years of use at the highest rate. Thus, the owner is forced to comply with the law.

Any signs of a malfunction - a burnt out meter, lack of indication, damage, including a broken seal - the owner is obliged to immediately report.

The user can receive a notification from the power supply company. It is sent if she is the initiator of the replacement. This often happens when the service life expires.As a rule, employees of the organization track when the key date is approaching, since they have all the data.

A failed meter must be replaced. It is forbidden to repair it with your own hands, as this will lead to a violation of the seals and the accrual of fines. The procedure is as follows:

• It is necessary to write an application for the visit of a specialist, indicating the address of the installation and symptoms of a malfunction.
• Clarify the time of arrival of a specialist.
• An employee of the power supply company will check whether the seals are broken and the correct operation of the device. If a breakdown is detected, the meter will be replaced. In this case, an act will be drawn up, which will reflect the final readings of the device.

The owner must purchase a new meter at his own expense.

You can change the device yourself, but the removal of the seal must take place in the presence of a representative of the Criminal Code or with the permission of the Criminal Code. In addition, it is necessary to obtain an official permission to replace the electricity meter from the energy selling company.

Procedure

Replacing the electricity meter is performed as follows:

• An application is submitted to the electricity supplier, in which the reasons for the replacement are prescribed.
• The company will issue an appropriate permit, as well as a certificate that will need to be presented at the place of purchase of the meter.
• It is also necessary to issue permission to remove the seal in the Criminal Code. The action will be performed in the presence of an observer.
• Then they purchase a new meter, but not any one, but one approved by the technical parameters by the energy-saving company (with a stamp, class 2) and having a quality certificate. The owner has the right to purchase the meter from the supplier. At the same time, if he does not have the entire required amount, he can issue a 5-year installment plan at interest by concluding an agreement. If the dwelling is public, the tenant can purchase a meter at their own expense, but their costs must be reimbursed.
• An electrician with a 3rd electrical safety group can be called from an energy-saving organization or found on his own. If the replacement is performed by a third party, then a contract must be concluded with it, which is then provided to the power supply company.

  

• The old equipment is not thrown away, but left so that the data can be verified at the time of dismantling.
• They mount a new device and connect it to the network.
• After installation, you need to check the correctness of the work.
• The controller is called to check and seal. The controller will make a note of the current readings.

Initial sealing is required and it is performed free of charge, although there are times when it is required to pay. This requirement is illegal.

What documents are issued

The documents are issued after the meter is installed and sealed. First of all, we are talking about a special act in which the data of the metering device are indicated. This document must be taken to the management company in order to recalculate the cost of electricity. A passport is attached to the new meter. This is also an important document. It indicates the date of the initial verification of the device. And the data sheet indicates the frequency of checks of the meter.

The admission is confirmed by the act of acceptance for operation. It is issued in two copies: for the electricity supplier and the owner.