Dissatisfied with the quality of services strengthened protection
From July 1 this year, tariffs for housing and communal services should be indexed by 4%. The Ministry of Economic Development notes that such an increase in fat bills will not exceed the level of projected inflation. Meanwhile, consumers consider the indexation of tariffs as an unjustified measure. 90% of the country's population is convinced that the cost does not match the quality of services provided by public utilities. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation sided with the citizens and allowed them to demand monetary compensation for moral damage.
Rising prices for gas, water, electricity and other benefits of civilization occur in Russia regularly. In September 2016, those in power reported that for the next three years the cost of housing and communal services will increase in the country: in the current year by an average of 4.9%, in 2018 - by 4.4%, in 2019 - by 4.1 %. But even despite a slight decrease in numbers, citizens continue to be indignant and wonder why we pay more, while the quality of housing and communal services is still far from ideal.
In November last year, the Government of the Russian Federation approved the indexes for changes in utility bills paid by Russians in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. According to the document, the growth of tariffs for housing and communal services in the second half of 2017 will average: in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and in the Kamchatka Territory - 6%, and in the Kemerovo Region prices will be increased by 5.9%. The minimum increase in tariffs will occur in North Ossetia-Alania - 2.5% and in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic - 3.3%.
In June of this year, Deputy Economic Development Minister Nikolai Podguzov said that from July 1, tariffs for housing and communal services would be indexed, but would not exceed the projected inflation rate of 4%. The official noted that such a decision was made by the FAS.
Usually, the practice of raising tariffs for housing and communal services is as follows: the authorities make a fundamental decision under the control of the Federal Antimonopoly Service and taking into account the “inflation minus” methodology, that is, the increase in the entire tariff scale should not exceed the level of the consumer price index.
“For each of the regions, at the level of the order of the government of the Russian Federation, a certain level is set, above which tariffs cannot be increased. For example, for St. Petersburg and Yakutia - 6%. For regions with a relatively low income level of the population, the "cut-off point" is about 3.3-3.4%. These figures mean that regions below this level cannot index tariffs. Above they can, but this must be justified in detail. The final rate increase is set at the level of regional politicians and departments,” Anna Bodrova, a senior analyst at Alpari, tells MK. “The average 4% this year will equal the rate growth rate for 2016, so there is no contradiction in terms of numbers.”
While managers were deciding how much they should raise tariffs, the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation asked the people of Russia how they assess the quality of housing and communal services (HCS). The online poll, which was conducted from February 1 to May 2, 2017, was attended by 3.2 thousand citizens from more than 60 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The results showed that 46.8% of respondents were not satisfied with the quality of housing and communal services. The most dissatisfied included residents of Arkhangelsk, Bryansk, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Samara, Murmansk, Novgorod regions, Primorsky and Krasnodar Territories, Republics of Karelia and Komi. 88.9% of respondents are convinced that the price of the services provided does not match their quality. According to a survey, 87.6% of the inhabitants of our country claim that the amount of fat bills for housing and communal services has not decreased even after the overhaul.
The population, as it was dissatisfied with the cost and quality of housing and communal services, will remain so, Anna Bodrova believes. “It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there is a lack of regulation, a strict framework of responsibility and prosecution for money laundering, and on the other hand, the population simply cannot pay more, because incomes are falling catastrophically.” Naturally, the increase in tariffs will be different in the regions, since the state of the infrastructure and the organization of work differ from each other, says Dmitry Baranov, a leading expert at the Finam Management Group. “It is clear that the quality of housing and communal services is gradually changing, but it is not worth waiting for a sharp increase in consumer satisfaction, it will happen gradually,” he stressed.
By the way, on June 13, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on litigation in the housing sector officially allowed residents who are not satisfied with the quality of services provided by public utilities to demand material compensation for moral damage. It is possible that the number statements of claim to court from angry citizens will rise sharply.
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Payment of utilities for many citizens of our country is a heavy burden. Payments for gas, electricity, heat and water eat up a significant part of wages. Many are forced to save money so that the utility load is as small as possible. How will utility prices behave in 2017? Will there be an increase in the cost of housing and communal services and what is the government doing to reduce this burden for people.
According to analysts, prices for com. services directly depend on the state of the economy in the country. Given the fact that Russia is in a deep economic crisis, we can assume that we cannot avoid tariff changes in 2017.
Today it is already known that the increase in the cost of utilities will be around 4%. It is planned to raise the cost of housing and communal services from July 2017. However, there are opinions that not all services will rise in price much, for example, an analysis of the cost of electricity showed that due to the indexation of enterprises, the increase in the cost of light can be reduced to the level of 2012.
Why prices are rising
Many of us do not understand why the cost of utilities is increasing year by year. For many of us, receipts with new tariffs become a cause for concern, because wages remain at the same level. Pensioners are especially concerned about rising prices, because they are the most vulnerable segment of the population in our country.
First of all, the prices for housing and communal services depend on the cost of fuel, there are a number of other articles that affect the pricing of a communal apartment. Thus, the government should first of all regulate the cost of fuel, and develop a plan for indexing individual enterprises. Today, the government has already begun to develop an investment plan for 2017 for Gazprom to stop the rise in gas prices.
According to the plan, investments should be calculated for several years, which will help stabilize fuel prices.
In addition, the government stated that the gas owner must also invest his personal funds in the development of the enterprise. This will help to increase the growth in fuel consumption and, accordingly, will lead to higher profits.
An important role in increasing the cost of gas is played by the economic blockade of Russia. Sanctions do not allow our country to attract investors from abroad, which negatively affects the economic situation as a whole. The lifting of sanctions may improve the situation, but this is not to be hoped for today.
According to this situation, the government can take the following measures:
- Limiting the growth of tariffs for the population.
- Tougher measures against debtors.
- Drawing up a new scheme for calculating tariffs.
Forecast of the cost of gas and heat 2017
The price of gas will go up the most. The growth of fuel tariffs will take place in line with inflation and will reach 3%. The rise in price will begin in July and will continue for 3 years. At the same time, the level of price increase may be significantly higher than predicted.
Gas bills will rise not only for residents, but also for industry, but for it the price will not rise so sharply.
The heat payment figures will also increase from July 2017. Presumably the index will be around 4.9%. Today, the president's office is considering the option of linking housing and communal services tariffs to inflation of the national currency. Only in this way, according to representatives of the government, the country will be able to stay afloat in this difficult time for everyone. With the growth of GDP, the situation will stabilize and the increase in the cost of utilities will not be so significant for the population.
Water Price Forecast
Regarding the increase in the cost of water, Elena Dovlatova (executive director of the RABB) said that this measure is simply necessary, and it is absolutely impossible to refuse it. According to Dovlatova, people do not want to pay for water at all, believing that it should be supplied to their homes for free. But then how can pipelines and refineries be maintained?
Today, most of these enterprises are already unprofitable, and if we want to have clean water in our homes, we need to invest in their modernization. According to experts, the price of water will rise by 4.9% in 2017. The rise in prices will continue until 2019 inclusive.
Light Price Forecast
Unlike the cost of gas, the price of electricity will not rise as rapidly for the country's residents as previously thought. Tariffs will most likely not reach the final price announced by the MED. It was previously announced that the growth in light prices in 2017 will be 7.1%.
Thus, it can be assumed that electricity will not become the main part of the cost of housing and communal services for consumers. At the same time, the government is also developing a plan of measures to tighten the fight against persistent non-payers.
When will the receipts with the new tariffs arrive?
Tariffs for housing and communal services in our country are growing every year. However, the price increase does not occur at the beginning of the year, but from July 1. So in winter we don't have to be afraid of rising prices, because this can become a huge burden for the population.
In general, all public utilities services in 2017 for the population will increase by 4.9%. The government says the increase is justified by inflation forecasts.
Wages and pensions will be indexed for the most vulnerable segments of the population, which will help reduce the material burden on paying com. services.
Also, the increase in the cost of services will continue in the next two years. According to forecasts in 2018, services will rise in price by another 4.4%, and in 2019 the price increase will approach 4.1%.
Rail transport services
In addition to utilities, it is planned to raise prices for rail transportation. This applies to both freight and passenger traffic. From July 2017 we will pay 4.9% for tickets. This increase in tariffs is also due to the forecast of rising inflation in the country.
Discontent among the population
The government is confident that the increase in tariffs will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the population, of course, who wants to pay more for a communal apartment than usual. However, as analysts explain, it is impossible to do without raising tariffs.
Today in the country more than half of public utilities are recognized as unprofitable. There are not enough funds for the modernization and maintenance of networks. However, the planned increase in prices will not be able to cover even part of the necessary costs.
The increase will only cover inflation and help utilities stay afloat.
At the same time, the government is developing measures to reduce the burden on the population. A thorough control over the activities of public utilities will be carried out in order to exclude unreasonably rising tariffs. For this, special commissions have been created to exercise control over the owners of farms.
Today in the media you can often find horrific news about the growth of tariffs for com. services. However, price increases occur in our country every year, and we are all used to it. It is worth noting that the government of the country is doing everything possible to make this burden as less noticeable as possible for the population of Russia. Today, strategies for the country's exit from a difficult economic situation are being developed. Let's hope that Russia will still be able to restore its economy, despite the sanctions and the negative policy of the West.
MOSCOW, June 30 - RIA Novosti. In Russia, since July 1, utility tariffs have been indexed. On average, according to the order of the Cabinet, the fee will change by four percent. However, in fact, growth in the regions will be different, and for the most part it is determined not so much by economic calculations, but by the solvency of the population.
Features of tariff regulation
The annual increase in utility bills is approved by the government in accordance with the forecast of the country's socio-economic development for the coming years. The increase in tariffs is affected by rising prices for gas and electricity, as well as inflation.
Since 2012, tariffs for utilities (electricity and gas supply, heating, water supply (hot and cold) and sanitation (sewage)) have been increased since July 1. According to the authorities, this should help curb inflation. That is, in the period from January 1 to June 30, the current tariffs are the same as they were as of December 31 of the previous year. Since the second half of the year, utility services have been rising in price. The tariff for housing services also changes once a year, but this can happen either from January 1 or July 1, depending on the decision of the Criminal Code or the municipality.
The only exception is Crimea, where so far the change in tariffs for heat, gas, electricity, water and waste occurs from one to three times a year, and the growth utility tariffs limited to 15% one time.
The payment for a specific utility service consists of the tariff multiplied by the consumption standard or the readings of the meter (meter). The average or maximum index of change in the amount of fees paid by citizens for all utilities by subjects is approved by the government. Local tariff authorities may set rates below this threshold, which does not happen often.
The largest increase in the average growth indices of utility bills since July awaits Moscow - by 7%; St. Petersburg, Yakutia and Kamchatka - by 6%. The minimum values of the average indices are approved in North Ossetia-Alania - 2.5%, in the Altai Territory - 3.2%, in Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria - 3.3% each.
Higher than in most other regions, tariffs will increase in the Kemerovo region - by 5.9%, the Tyumen region - by 5.4%, the Primorsky Territory - by 5%, in the Irkutsk and Sverdlovsk regions also by 5%. The average index in the Moscow region will increase by 4%, in the Leningrad region - by 3.8%.
It is believed that the index is formed taking into account the peculiarities of the municipal sector of the region, and therefore may differ by subject. According to Svetlana Razvorotneva, executive director of NP ZhKKH Control, the index is simply adjusted to the payment capabilities of the population. “All our tariff regulation has nothing to do with economic calculations and solving problems of improving the quality of services. The logic is simple. From whom you can take more, for example, from Muscovites and St. Petersburg, they raise it for those,” the expert commented.
Control over the correctness of charges
It is not difficult to check the correctness of the charges: the cost of utilities for July 2017 must be divided by the cost of services for December 2016 (subject to the same consumption volumes) and multiplied by 100%. In fact, the rate of payment growth should not exceed the marginal index.
As RIA Novosti was informed in the Federal Antimonopoly Service, no violations of the procedure for approving limit indices and the procedure for agreeing to exceed the index in the region by more than the maximum permissible deviation were detected in the first half of 2017. Information on changing the amount of citizens' fees for utilities will be available only after August 5.
Tariffs for the population are not economically justified. The difference in the cost of heat and electricity is reimbursed at the expense of local budgets. In addition, citizens whose expenses for housing and communal services exceed 22% (the maximum allowable cost of paying for housing and communal services) of the total family income can count on subsidies.
If the consumer believes that utility bills have been calculated incorrectly, he can contact his UK or HOA, as well as the local State Housing Inspectorate, which monitors the correct calculation of utility bills and compliance with the requirements for the provision of services in homes. To check the correctness of the accruals, the consumer can also contact the prosecutor's office and the Federal Antimonopoly Service.
Unified system of housing and communal services
Since July, all housing and communal enterprises must place information in the state information system of housing and communal services (GIS housing and communal services). Information about public utilities, tariffs, activities of resource suppliers and management companies must be entered into the system. This is a kind of single platform where you can find information about your home, the work of the Criminal Code, accrued payments, debts.
Already now, consumers can apply through the GIS housing and communal services to government agencies with an application to conduct an audit in relation to the management company or resource supply organization. From January 1, 2018, companies will be held administratively liable if they do not post the necessary information or if the data turns out to be incorrect.
Meanwhile, business has criticized the GIS housing and communal services more than once. Thus, the chairman of the board of one of the country's largest energy companies, Inter RAO, Boris Kovalchuk noted that the system often fails, which makes it impossible to enter information or correct errors in the entered data.
