Legal standards
A water meter is a precise device that is in constant contact with water, which undoubtedly contributes to rapid wear . And if you do not comply with the deadline for checking water meters, they will quickly become unusable and will show incorrect data.
The legislation clearly states that the owner of the residential premises must take care of routine checks of water measuring instruments. Certain deadlines are also prescribed - the cold water supply meter is checked every 6 years, and the hot water supply meter after 4 years .
Meter manufacturers follow the law and set inspection deadlines in accordance with its requirements. Each metering device is equipped with special documentation, which indicates the timing of its inspection and operation in general.
ATTENTION! The period for checking the device is counted from the date of manufacture, and not from the moment of its installation.
How to check
Currently, there is a wide selection of companies specializing in checking meters. When contacting them, you need to make sure that you have a license that allows you to provide this type of service .
You can seek the help of your management company. As a rule, managers are referred to a company that is guaranteed to test devices and has accreditation from the Federal Service.
Checking an individual meter can be done by dismantling it and sending it to a special laboratory. In this case, a housing office employee must be present and the seal will be removed from the device .
IMPORTANT! At the time of checking the meter in laboratory conditions, you must be provided with another water meter.
Companies equipped with specialized equipment can perform an inspection at home, in which case the presence of third parties is not necessary . Using a flow meter, the meter is assessed. High-precision scales weigh the amount of water passing through the device.
If the data does not exceed the permissible error, then the technician issues a document confirming the scheduled inspection and allowing further operation of the device. If the difference in error exceeds the permissible limit, the device is considered unsuitable and must be replaced.
Application for Recalculation of Housing and Utilities After Verification of Meters
in the event of failure or loss of an individual metering device previously put into operation or the expiration of its service life, determined by the period of time before the next verification - starting from the date when the specified events occurred, and if the date cannot be determined - then starting from the billing period, in which the specified events occurred, before the date when the accounting of the utility resource was resumed by putting into operation an individual metering device that meets the established requirements, but no more than 3 billing periods in a row for a residential premises.
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If the cost of consumed gas exceeds the cost calculated based on its consumption standards, the subscriber has the right to demand a recalculation by submitting data on actual gas consumption based on the readings of working metering devices. This conclusion follows from the analysis of Articles 539, 541, 544 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, Part 1 of Article 157 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation and is consistent with the explanations of representatives of the Government of the Russian Federation, who indicated that the subscriber has such a right.
Differences between a hot water meter
A frequently asked question on the Internet is how to check a hot water meter? The process is identical as in the case of cold water. The only difference is the timing of the inspection.
ATTENTION! Hot water is enriched with a large number of chemical elements, which makes the device unusable much faster.
High temperatures also promote rapid wear . Therefore, according to the law, equipment must be inspected every 4 years.
Who should monitor deadlines?
After installing a water metering device, all information about its operation is sent to your management company. As a rule, they maintain special documentation that indicates the installation dates and the timing of the planned check of the meters.
Most HOAs notify owners that the deadline is approaching, but this is not a requirement.
ATTENTION! The homeowner is obliged to monitor compliance with scheduled checks, based on the technical data sheet attached to the device.
Who can carry out verification
Verification can only be carried out by an organization that has undergone official accreditation and received a license to provide services. The company can be state-owned (for example, Vodokanal) or private based on current legislation. The main condition: availability of access with accreditation.
Verification does not have to be a free service, regardless of the citizen’s territory of residence. A professional uses the latest mobile metrological equipment to work. Verification is carried out on site, dismantling is carried out to deliver the device to the laboratory for testing for suitability.
In order not to violate the established legislative order, it is recommended to contact only verified organizations, and also to first familiarize yourself with the document confirming accreditation.
The device has expired
The legislation provides for timely verification of meters without fail.
After the device's service life has expired, its readings are invalid. Charges for water consumption are calculated in this case based on average indicators for the six months .
If three people are registered in the apartment, and only one person lives, the calculation will be made for each registered person.
What to do when your water meter check is overdue? The first thing you need to do is contact the management company and find an organization that will carry out an inspection in the near future. You must recalculate according to average monthly standards and in the future you will have to pay at the established rate.
The law does not provide for a fine for overdue inspection. However, it is better to keep an eye on the deadlines so as not to overpay from your pocket for cubic meters of water that you did not use.
ATTENTION! It is recommended to check cold water and hot water 1.5 months before the specified date.
What to do if your water meter verification is overdue
Cold and hot water meters perform a monitoring function in public utilities. Each device is equipped with a certificate from the manufacturer, which confirms its serviceability. This information is valid during the verification interval. Delay in checking the water meter means that the device automatically becomes faulty, and the indicators do not correspond to reality.
The verification procedure is implemented in two ways.
What to do if verification is overdue
If the water meter verification is overdue, the owner is recommended to follow a certain procedure:
- It is necessary to contact one of the organizations that has the authority to provide verification services to owners and users of premises. After concluding an agreement, an employee of this organization will come to the owner of the apartment to carry out control measurements of the metering device using special devices. If the meter tests are successful, the homeowner will be given a certificate of completion and documentation confirming the suitability of the water meter. It is recommended to obtain a duplicate license from the organization to carry out such activities.
- Next, an employee of the management company (MC) should be invited to check the condition of the seals and monitor the meter data. Based on the measurement results, the consumer's debt for the resource used without verification will be determined.
- At the next stage, the tenant must send a written request to the management company with a request to make a recalculation taking into account the latest readings of cold and hot water meters. The document will need to be accompanied by all certificates of control activities that were issued to the resident, and the agreement concluded with the accreditation service.
Date set by the manufacturer
Many private organizations impose their services, offering to carry out a scheduled inspection. Before agreeing to this, it is worth finding out the real date set by the manufacturer . You can do this in a way convenient for you:
- During installation of the meter, the owner is required to issue a commissioning certificate, which indicates the date of the scheduled inspection. The technical data sheet of the device also contains information about the date of manufacture and subsequent checks.
- Rent receipts contain information about inspections, the number of the device used and previous readings.
- In your personal account on the Moscow government portal. Next to the field where meter readings are entered, there is a question mark “?” By clicking on it, you can learn more about mandatory checks.
Why do they do verification?
Monthly payment for used hot and cold water is carried out based on the recorded indicators of installed meters.
Each device must have a technical passport, which displays the year and information about the expiration date. The correct payment calculation depends on the accuracy of the readings taken. During long-term use, its technical properties may change. If it is proven that it is not working correctly, then dismantling and installation of a new water meter are carried out.
Grounds for unscheduled inspection of water meters
Situations arise when it is necessary to carry out an unscheduled check of water meters. The basis for this may be either a statement from the owner himself or the management company’s suspicions of the user’s dishonesty. Basically, state inspection is carried out in three cases:
- If irregularities in the operation of the equipment are noticed or a manufacturing defect is detected . Based on sudden changes in meter readings indicating an obvious breakdown, the management company may require an unscheduled inspection.
- If the integrity of the seals is broken , which indicates interference with the operation of the device. To resume use, it must be checked and resealed.
- During the inspection, the controller discovered the loss of the technical passport - the basis for stopping the acceptance of data until re-checking.
Each owner should be directly interested in the timely inspection of their devices. With the right approach to this issue, you will not have to overpay for water supply services.
Consequences of failure to complete verification on time
Based on current legislation, every citizen is obliged to check meters after a certain period of time for malfunctions and the accuracy of the readings taken. If the owner of an apartment or private house does not have time to complete the procedure within the established time frame, then during the first three months bills for water use will be received in accordance with the general established tariffs (which significantly increases the price). If there is a delay, no additional penalties are imposed. However, the citizen suffers financial losses, since he will overpay for the water supply until he carries out verification.
Licensed organizations conduct these events in person, filling out all the paperwork for the accounting department of the management company. Therefore, all that remains is to go to the HOA, make copies of the documents and send them to the desired department.
Important: you cannot give the original act and certificate of verification to the HOA and other organizations. They must remain with the owner of the house.
Service organizations are asked to fill out an application for recalculation, while others carry out the procedure after receiving a package of documents. Information can be clarified by calling the helpline.
Sometimes situations occur when a citizen receives a fine from the HOA due to untimely verification of meters. Lawyers do not recommend paying, you need to call the organization. There is no provision anywhere in the current legislative draft that would establish penalties. Homeowners associations try to indicate as the main reason that the accrual was carried out according to general standards, since the verification was not completed on time. If such a situation occurs, it is necessary to demand official explanations from the management company on what basis the fine was issued with an explanation from the point of view of government acts and regulations.
Turning to the criteria that are prescribed in the legislation, they are practically no different from the region or region of the country. For example, the average cold water consumption rate is 7 m? per person, and hot – 5m?. Since each receipt shows water consumption, you can control charges and avoid overpaying several times.
Verification of meters is a mandatory event, which is enshrined in government regulations. If a citizen does not have time to complete the procedure on time, then the expense will be accrued in an alternative way - according to the established tariffs in the general manner.
Do not agree to verify or replace meters if the last verification period has not yet expired, details in the following video:
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