In Ukraine a few weeks ago adopted the law “On commercial accounting utilities”. The document creates accounting rule, the obligation to install meters on all residential and non-residential buildings. The website “Today” has collected the answers to the main questions about how the innovation will affect Ukrainians.
If the house has no counters, who should supply and at whose expense?
According to the law, until the first of October 2018 all houses have to install counters for heat and water. The obligation placed on suppliers, they put the metering devices and consumers for 5 years return the money. Money is considerable. For example, the cost of the heat meter on high-rise buildings is in the range of 50-70 thousand.
The document also stated that the local authorities can pay for the installation of meters for the house. Many cities are already working the program of co-financing, the funds for the counters allocate service providers, and the rest – to local authorities.
It will have five years to pay extra for the counters?
No. Utility providers contend with the local authority development programme. In most cases, these programmes already includes funds for the installation of meters. Because of this, in Kiev almost 96% of high-rise buildings – with house counters in Khmelnytskyi – 100%. But it is rather illustrative examples. In many cities, less than 50% of the housing stock equipped with meters.
Photo: archive
As explained in the civil network “OPORA”, the Ukrainians do not have to buy the counters because their cost is in most cases included in the tariff.
The house put the counter on water and heat, and electricity and gas is not necessary?
Meters for electricity and gas pose individually for each apartment. How much used, much pay. However, for gas supply companies door-to-door counters is very expensive. It’s one thing to put one counter on all house, and quite another to get around to every apartment and set a hundred meters. The Ukrainians are owed for gas 11.3 billion hryvnia. If Ukrainians do not pay for communal, and money the service provider for the installation of meters is not enough.
As a result, some high-rise buildings put gas meters on the whole house, and not for each apartment separately. The total number of cubic meters used divided by the number of registered residents. However, in practice it may be that the apartment in which registered one grandmother, can live with it all her relatives. They can spend gas for five people, and how to pay for one. The difference must be paid to all tenants, because between them are the costs..
Can I opt-out of installation of the meter on the house?
House counters of water and heat has to be supplied according to the law “On commercial accounting of KU”. If tenants will interfere with the metering devices can establish through the courts. But the counter at the gas needs to establish door-to-door. According to the law “On commercial accounting of natural gas”, the gas companies have to equip with meters all households until January 1, 2018. The Minister sotspolitiki Andrey Reva said: “the law requires door-to-door counting. Moreover, the price of gas is laid”.
But if there is a counter for heat and water and the apartment to the house and, for some indicators you have to pay?
Individual meters also need to put, if it is technically possible and economically viable. According to various estimates, up to 70% of Ukrainian high-rise buildings with a horizontal flow of heat. In such houses there is no possibility to put the heat meter in the apartment. To convert a vertical, you will need millions of hryvnia. This investment will be a long time to pay off, so here is change is nothing special.
In the water situation you need to pay at the brownie counter, but based on the performance of individual metering device. Water can be “lost” in the house. For example, some of the neighbors set on counters magnets and hide the actual consumption, there are gusts, and sometimes in-house systems are connected illegally. And someone should pay. To follow should the tenants. In-house communication, the basement is a joint property of all apartment owners. They must first be interested in how to prevent possible violations.
When will stand meters for all utilities, it will be possible to pay less?
No. If without a meter pay according to the norm, then the counter will have to pay for what you use. It may be that in fact the house burns with more heat than intended standard. In such a situation, after installation of the meter the amount in the payment can grow. This often happens with neenergoeffektivny homes, and where facilities are heated to a temperature of 25-26 degrees.
“Installing a heat meter in a warm home, people see that amount in the payment increased. And from meter to disconnect. So they start to ruin it or to pretend that someone has stolen, to return to the previous payroll. Instead think about saving and installing individual heating unit with automated weather regulation of the flow temperature in the heating system of the building,” says communications Manager DTEK ESKO Anton Kovalishin.
Photo: archive
What is the point of counters?
Any savings begins with the account. In a situation with the heat after the installation of a house meter, the next step is the installation of individual heat points. This will not only take into account used Giga-calorie, but also to regulate consumption. In the afternoon when most residents are at work, feeding less heat also “tie” flow during warming.
“The vast majority of cases, the installation of meters enables you to pay less for heat, electricity, gas and water. The counter shows the actual amount of energy consumption. And these costs consumers will be able to manage yourself.. If consumption is calculated only for standards – attempts to save energy reduce bills. By itself, the meter does not save energy, and disciplinary consumers and stimulates them to more efficiently use energy,” explains Kovalishin.
In addition, the metering device is the Foundation for the energy management system, including at the household level, in their own house or apartment. It is believed that this system allows no additional cost save up to 10% of energy by changing habits of energy consumption.
Photo: archive
The draft law “On commercial accounting utilities” is not yet signed by the President and entered into force. However, experts are sure that it is not necessary to wait, when the law will be obliged to install metering devices and start the hype and prices of the metering devices will grow. If now set the counters for a couple of heating seasons they can pay off. That is counter – beneficial.
“We recommend you to remember about the possibility of two-band installation of electricity meters. In July DTEK ESKO will sell a set of energy-saving products “Smart WATT”, which includes two-band energy meter. In combination with energy-saving LED light bulbs, outlets with timers and rational approach, people will be able to save up to 50% on energy costs,” – say representatives of DTEK ESCOs.
